Join Me In Today’s Devotional and Reflection: The Mantle/Moment That Changed Everything

Today my devotional time will be a bit different. Because today, I will do it together with you. A moment of reflection that has to be shared. You know I am a firm supporter of sharing our stories, our experiences, our testimonies throughout our relational journey with God. Which means, I’d need to keep doing my part as well. And so I am here today, to share yet another paragraph in “the book of Tashmyn”.

The day before yesterday I had a funny moment during my devotional time. I have been reading my second Bible, which is Thomas Nelson’s NKJV Woman’s Study Bible, from Genesis to Revelations, front to back. And yesterday I reached 1 Kings 19, a chapter that since October 2024 has a special meaning to me. And as each chapter has notes that go deeper into some verses or situations, this one has some too. In verse 19 we read how Elijah passes his mantle to Elisha. It’s that paragraph that became so special to me, and so I was eager to read the notes added when I saw there were some. The notes add the following explanation:

“The passing of the mantle suggested anointing, just as anointing with oil indicated the appointment of a king. Although anointed, Elisha still had to undergo a discipleship. Jesus echoed the words of Elijah when he explained the cost of discipleship (Luke 9:61, 62).”

When you read it, you probably wonder why this is funny. Well, I have a second Bible, which is actually my first. A very well-used, not pink anymore, HCSB Here’s Hope Breast Cancer Awareness Bible. And as it is my first “Bible-reading-language”, it is the version I understand the best and regularly go back to if I need a translation. I also use it to travel with, as it’s smaller and much lighter. And lastly, I use it when the woman’s study Bible refers to another passage, as has happened here above — Luke 9:61, 62. And so I grabbed my first Bible and as I opened it it went to the pages where I last had used it. I know, because I left my pen and yellow marker in between those pages. And guess the chapter I read last? You might have guessed Luke 9, but no, it was 1 Kings 19. Congratulations if you guessed correctly, there is a virtual high-five coming your way. If the last time I used my first Bible was to read chapter 1 Kings 19, then the last time I used it was when that chapter got an extra special meaning to me. And so I reflected and engaged in conversation with God.

On the 19th of October 2024 our church, Hillsong Portugal, had an event called Casa Aberta (which means Open House in Portuguese). During one of the final services pastor Chris Mendez from Hillsong South America preached a life-changing message to me titled: “The Mantle/Moment That Changed Everything”. Pastor Chris Mendez brought the beautiful character of Elisha to light. The highlight for me, was how Elisha eliminated his plan B. Let’s read.

1 Kings 19:19-21 [NKJV] — “So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”

1 Kings 19:19-21 [HCSB] — “Elijah left there and found Elisha  son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you? ” So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow,  he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.”

How amazing is this? It’s so mindblowing it made me uncomfortable. Elisha completely eliminates the possibility of him going back to his old ways, his old job, his old plan, his plan B. I say “completely”, because the farmer-for-all-his-life (meaning, he didn’t know any other job) slaughters every animal that was used to plow, burns all his equipment and then puts the two together, cooks a huge meal and gives it to the people. When pastor Chris Mendez added “his ‘just in case I can’t pay my bills’ was eliminated” my heart started aching and yes, of course, tears started rolling down my cheeks. I believed I had surrendered completely when I decided in September 2022 to stop working for others, stop working for myself, stop all projects and start from scratch focusing solemnly on what God had been clear about me doing; when I decided to obey Him. I thought I had reached the max of surrender. What else could I give? (A lot more! Trust me, I’ve learned.) As I sat there, being slapped by the Holy Spirit, I remember the couple of times I did some extra hours of nursing for a home care company. I remember, just some weeks before, how I applied for two online nursing vacancies, with the excuse that the money I’d earn part-time there would be enough to pay all my bills ánd invest in His kingdom áaand invest in His purpose for my life. In other words, we could get to His purpose quicker this way. WHAT?! I laugh now, but what the actual heck was I thinking? Needless to say, I deserved every awakening slap in the face the Holy Spirit was delivering. You know, the kind that echoes even in a crowded stadium. The reality that I hadn’t wholly surrendered hit. My heart just didn’t ache anymore, it broke. I repented then and there, asked for forgiveness and cried another litre and a half. In God’s goodness, He spoke to me through a prayer done with me by a friend right after that preaching. His comfort was immediate, His provision was humbling. My answer was YES.

The next day was Sunday 20th, and the floodgates opened. You thought crying a litre and a half was a lot? When that same friend translated my rambling and the accumulating events into a clear definition, I couldn’t help but pour. I wept for 5 days, not because I was sad. No, that was done. I wept because of God’s presence. His revelation to me; clarifying, illuminating, merciful, personal, careful, greatly unfolding revelation. My broken heart was mending with His overwhelming Joy. Our Abba Father was showing me how each beat brought together created a rhythm. A rhythm that made sense and was made with sense.

Monday the 21st, the day I burned my plan B. Symbolically it was by filming myself, shortly telling this story, and posting it online. To many this is simple, but to me, this was mortifying. Yet I matched my actions with my spoken YES. No time in between, no wasting, no doubting, and no procrastinating. God doesn’t just want to use me behind doors, behind the scenes or behind a laptop screen. Even though I am very comfortable here, Here is Not My Home. God wants to use me out in the open, publicly, and brutally. And I am saying YES. Dancing awkwardly to the music of my future, but most definitely a YES.

And from those three letters followed many invitations pulling me out of hiding and confirmations of my call to become a missionary. One of them being a marking moment where I received prayer from a missionary couple. After hearing their testimony and journey as I cried at their table, they came standing on my sides, placing their hand on my shoulder and prayed for me. And as they prayed I felt something I’ve never felt before. I felt warmth growing on my back and spreading over my shoulders, realizing it felt as if someone was placing a mantle over me. I don’t know how I still had tears left to cry, but somehow I managed.

Remember the note added to the passage in my Woman’s Study Bible?

“The passing of the mantle suggested anointing, just as anointing with oil indicated the appointment of a king. Although anointed, Elisha still had to undergo a discipleship. Jesus echoed the words of Elijah when he explained the cost of discipleship (Luke 9:61, 62).”

Now let’s break this down, starting with “The passing of the mantle suggested anointing”. I understand now that that beautiful moment I experienced with the missionary couple was me receiving anointing. “Although anointed, Elisha still had to undergo a discipleship” — my journey only made it to a new chapter there, this was only the beginning, a new beginning. I still have to undergo discipleship. “Jesus echoed the words of Elijah when he explained the cost of discipleship (Luke 9:61, 62)“. I find this same verse 62 in my notes of that preaching of pastor Chris Mendez.

Luke 9:61-62 [HCSB] — “Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The cost of discipleship. Being or becoming fit for the kingdom of God. We easily call ourselves followers of Christ. Believing we have surrendered and given it all. But have we really? Do we really Follow Him?

What would your answer be if I asked you?