Don’t Block the Blessings | Object Lesson
This is an object lesson that can help you teach your class about How sometimes our own choices can stop the blessings of God in our lives.
NEEDED:
You need a clear glass vase or cup (to represent Elisha and us, the vessel), a funnel that fits neatly into the vase (to represent the pathway of God’s blessing), a pitcher of water or juice (to represent God’s blessings and anointing), and a cork that is just large enough to completely block the narrow end of the funnel.
Start with the vase and funnel ready. Introduce the story of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was a powerful prophet of God, doing major miracles. One day, Elijah passed by Elisha, who was plowing his field, and slapped his coat (mantle) onto him. Elisha knew exactly what this meant: he was being called to follow.
Elisha wanted to follow, but he said, “Wait, I need to tell my parents goodbye.” Elijah said, “Go, but don’t you forget this call.” Elisha did something dramatic: he killed his oxen, tore up his plow, and burned them!
Explain the first lesson: When you commit to God, you don’t leave things where you can come back to them. Elisha burned his bridges so he could never go back to his old life. If you have clothes you shouldn’t be wearing, don’t hang them up “just in case.” You must be fully committed.
Elisha followed Elijah faithfully for years, witnessing miracle after miracle. Then, Elijah told Elisha he was about to be taken straight to Heaven without dying. He asked Elisha, “Is there anything I can do for you before I’m taken away?“
Imagine asking for anything! Elisha didn’t ask for money, houses, or power. Like King Solomon, he asked for the things of God. He said, “Man of God, I want your anointing, that spirit of God that rests on you, and I want a double portion—twice as much!”
Elijah said, “You have asked for a hard thing. But if you see me taken away, it will happen.” Elisha stuck to that prophet like a leech; he would not let him out of his sight.
Hold the funnel over the vase. Say, “This vase is us. This funnel is the path God uses to pour out wonderful things on us.” Pour the water slowly into the funnel, filling the vase. “When we are seeking God, praying, reading our Bible, and following a man or woman of God, the blessings flow into us. That’s how we get the anointing—it flows right into us!”
Now, pour the water back into the pitcher, emptying the vase. Say, “Imagine Elisha got bored. Imagine if his desire for the things of this world began to take priority over the things of God.”
Hold up the cork. Explain that the cork represents the silly things of this world that can block God’s blessings: video games, wanting money or a career, being too focused on sports, or just not caring anymore. Stuff the cork firmly into the narrow end of the funnel.
Say, “Elisha knew he had to keep his eyes on the prize. If he had quit paying attention, if he had said, ‘I don’t need to go to church and pray today,’ or ‘I can focus on my video games instead,’ this would have happened:”
Hold the funnel (with the cork) over the vase. Pour the water/blessing into the funnel. The water will back up and overflow around the funnel, but none will enter the vase!
Shout: “Oh no! The blessings were being poured out! The double portion was there! But Elisha’s focus on worldly things would have blocked the funnel! The blessings went around him, not into him!”
“But that’s not what happened!” Quickly remove the cork and empty the water that collected in the funnel.
“Elisha was ready! He never let the things of this world get in the way.” When the chariot of fire swept down, Elisha was there! He saw the whole thing, and he saw Elijah’s mantle fall from the sky. He caught it, and a double portion of the anointing fell on him. Elijah performed 8 miracles; Elisha performed 16 major miracles!
Pour the water into the now-uncorked funnel again, filling the vase completely. We must make sure that the cork never gets stuck in the funnel of God’s blessings. We must constantly seek to go deeper. Follow a great man or woman of God, and tell God, “I want that anointing, and I want a double portion!” If you press in, God will honor your desire and pour it out on you!
