2 Kings 13:14-19 – “Now Elisha had a terminal illness. King Jehoash of Israel went down to visit him. He wept before him and said, “My father, my father!  The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” ¹⁵ Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. ¹⁶ Then Elisha told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” He did so, and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. ¹⁷ Elisha said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so. Elisha said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” ¹⁸ Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The prophet got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”

Hear this!  Today is a day without compare!   What is unique about today?  It is a day of opportunity and marks the beginning of a new outpouring of God we have longed for.   It will be viewed as just another day by all but those whose hearts are not attuned to the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit.   Today, God is reassuring His timeless call to Himself in full surrender and complete obedience.   No more mixed worship and divided hearts.

As I read in 2 Kings, a repeated theme surfaced.  Those Kings who did what was pleasing to God all had a similar flaw – they failed to fully rid the land of the high places and mixed worship.

The same situation exists today in many churches and lives.  There is a burning hunger for God, but there is evidence of allowing things of the flesh and world to be mixed into the church and life.  We call it tolerance and inclusiveness; God calls it an abomination.

In 2 Kings 13, when Elisha was terminally ill, he called King Jehoash to him for a prophetic revelation.  He had the king shoot an arrow to the East to symbolize victory over Syria.  In order to complete the victory, he instructed the king to take the arrows and “strike the ground.”

The king was clearly not enthusiastic, nor did he grasp the power of symbolism, so he nonchalantly hit the ground three meek times.  Elisha became irate!  He said, “If you had struck the ground 5 or 6 times, you would have annihilated Syria!  Complete victory was yours, BUT not only partial victory is coming because you did not give God your whole heart.”

In 2 Corinthians 6, Paul speaks to this attitude, condition, and requirement for Victory.  In verses 16-17, he says, “For we are the temple of the Living God, JUST AS GOD SAID, I will live IN them, and walk AMONG them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.  THEREFORE, come out from their midst, and be separate, says the Lord.  AND touch no unclean thing…”

God not only expects but demands complete commitment and obedience.

If we want complete victory and desire to be an integral part of God’s Last Days Harvest, there must be a coming out from the world and a coming into God.  Nothing of the flesh can be allowed to be mixed in.

Of course, this is only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit, not by willpower.  It is not performance but a surrendered heart that God seeks.

We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness!   That is where victory comes, spilling over into everyday life.  We become flames to moths and honey to flies as we are totally invested in Him. Power flows unhindered by pride, or the impurity of mixed worship mingled with divided hearts.

So, today is the beginning of renewal, revival, and restoration.   The door is open, so let’s walk through it and into the glory of God!

It is time for us to Strike the Ground in a declaration of Victory!