June 19

2 Kings 2:19-22

The test

Elijah had been taken up to heaven, and now Elisha was on his own. Because Elisha had seen Elijah being taken away, he knew that he had been given an extra portion of the Spirit’s power. But now everyone wanted to find out whether he was truly a prophet. The people of Jericho came to him and said, “This is a wonderful city, but the water makes people sick.”

So Elisha said, “Get me a bowl with some salt in it.” Then he took the salt and threw it into the spring, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have made this water pure, and it will no longer cause people to die.’” And the water remained pure from that day on.

How can I know that the Spirit of God lives in me?

One way a prophet could show that his message truly came from God was by performing miracles. When God works in amazing ways through His servants, it gives them the authority to speak on His behalf.

The people of Jericho had struggled with this water problem for a long time. Now they had the opportunity not only to have their water made pure, but also to discover whether Elisha was truly God's prophet.

How do your friends know that your faith in God is real? The clearest way they can tell that the Spirit of God lives in you is by seeing your fruit. Just as you can identify a fruit tree by its fruit, people can see what is in your heart by the way you live. The Spirit produces fruit in your life as you live out the goodness God has placed in your heart. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

Verse for today

(Jesus said), “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. … You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17