2 Kings 13:18-19 – “Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19 The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”
As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I sensed two specific needs in me and the church.
- Spiritual Eyes that see beyond the natural.
- Urgency, unction, gumption, and function.
Complacency and nonchalance produce temporary victories, at best. In 2 Kings 13, we have the account of King Joash coming to Elisha’s deathbed. The prophet gave him instructions (symbolic prophetic tasks). He was a bit nonchalant and complacent in his response. It infuriated the prophet, who had lived his life totally invested in God.
Effectual, fervent prayer avails much. Persistent asking, seeking, and knocking get results. It is the endurance to the end that gets the reward. It is the prepared that gain the victory.
If something (including lost souls) is not compelling enough to keep us awake and on our knees, we will not go All In with God. No move of God has come without being preceded by Travail. No deliverance in Israel until people became desperate.
Our focus cannot be us, except to right our lives and move into His presence. 2 Corinthians 6:17 screams of the need, not a requirement, to give God Everything. “Therefore, come out from among them, and be separate, says Adonai.” Separation, not isolation. Separation from practices, views, lifestyles, and defilement.
2 Corinthians 7:1 looks back at that plea and instructs, “let us cleanse ourselves from ALL defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Do we truly believe and fear God? Do we? How do we live? How do we think? How do we conduct ourselves? Does that reflect a genuine belief that Everything He says is true and demonstrate a true fear (awe) of Him?
If we are half-hearted, living as if we had endless days to get it right, and without genuine concern for our lives or the lost, that shouts that we do not! 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 reveal that personal commitment requires personal action. God will not do for us what He tasked us to do. God will not arbitrarily take sin from us. He waits for us to act!
My actions testify to what I truly believe! Lord, open our spiritual eyes so we can see!
