Leading The Way - Devotional for September 18
September 18, 2025
A Spirit of Control
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
In 2 Kings 4, another encounter with Elisha brings a lesson for those of us who like to be in control.
Elisha was in Gilgal with the company of the prophets, and he had just instructed his servant to put on a large pot of stew. “One of [the prophets] went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were” (4:39).
It only took one, one with the spirit of control, one whose ego was constantly tripping him, one who could not stand the way God was using Elisha, one who wanted to feel just as important as the prophet of God, and he went out and brought these gourds and put them in the pot because he wanted to improve on God’s recipe. It wasn’t good enough. This man did not know what the plant was. If it had been good, the animals would have eaten it because this was during a famine. But he felt duty-bound to do something. He had to help God out.
So as they began to eat, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” (v. 40). That’s another way of saying, “It’s poisoned!” We don’t know the name of this person, just as well, but I think every home has one of these. Every church has a few. I pray to God that if you are a person with a spirit of control, you would surrender it today because God will not be able to bless you until you do.
Prayer: God, forgive me for the times when I try to take matters into my own hands and control things. I know that Your ways are perfect and I can’t possibly improve on Your plans, even though sometimes I try. I surrender this spirit of control to You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon It Is Supernatural, Part 5: LISTEN NOW
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Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com.
