Here we have one of the most interesting accounts ever recorded in the Bible. A corpse of a man, who had recently passed away, touched the bones of the great prophet Elisha and immediately the man was revived. Although this is a unique and quite unusual narrative, I believe that there are timeless lessons we can glean from it today. Yes, we see a miracle of a resuscitation, but the reason for this resuscitation is where we find our application.
Why would the bones of a dead man have any power? The only answer is because men who live life fully for the Lord can give off life-saving power even after they are dead. Now, before we begin to unearth the corpses of deceased saints, let me explain. Many people who have gone before have left a godly legacy that long survives their life span on this planet. The legacy of some has yielded more spiritual fruit in others then what they harvested while alive. Naturally, we think of Jim Elliot and his co-missionaries, as well as other martyrs. In fact, there are many great men and women who have left potent, life-giving legacies behind for us to learn from and be encouraged by.
This thought challenged me. What sort of legacy am I leaving? The only way to leave a life-giving legacy is to lead a life-giving life. To keep faith simple, even when theology is complicated. To keep ministry genuine, even when I want to fake it. To keep my walk Christ-vibrant, even when I’m feeling exhausted. The fact of the matter is we don’t know when our life will come to end, so if we want our legacy to produce life and inspire faith in others, we need to start living a legacy-worthy life right now!
