Do Not Ignore the Voice of Reason

Note from today’s Bible reading: 2 Kings 1-4

After Elijah was taken up into heaven, Elisha returned and was met by the “sons of the prophets” (2 Kings 2:15). These men were aware that Elisha was the successor of Elijah and that God had taken Elijah.

However, these men had an idea that they could find Elijah. They said to Elisha, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley” (2 Kings 2:16).

Initially, Elisha turned down their suggestion. But as they insisted, he eventually relented. So the fifty men “search for three days but did not find him” (2 Kings 2:17). When they returned and reported this to Elisha, he rebuked them and said, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?” (2 Kings 2:18).

What the sons of the prophets did on this occasion is not uncommon. We may get excited about some idea that we came up with and then refuse to listen to anyone who would advise us against what we planned to do. Yet, if these men had listened to Elisha, they would not have wasted three days in a futile search for someone they would never find.

So do not ignore the voice of reason. Just because we are excited about a plan we have made does not mean it would be a good idea to implement it. There are people around us who can impart wisdom to us and help us avoid unnecessary or foolish endeavors.