THE GRACE FOR VICTORY

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. 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.

Everyone who enters into a fight…hopes always to win. But there is always a WINNER and a loser. However, there is another different angle to any kind of fight. Sometimes, you might win by default or sheer luck. Thankfully, as a child of God…who is constantly faced with different kinds of battles…our perspective in a fight is…or ought to be that one of a victor. Yet…in spite of this awesome knowledge, we at times enter into our fight UNARMED and UNPREPARED to endure through to the end. At other times, we have no strength to keep our hands on the WEAPON for too long. That’s what happened to the King of Israel.

Israel was ever fighting different kinds of enemies. Before each battle, according to the instructions, each king was required to inquire from the Lord through the prophet. In the account from 2 Kings 13, we see Jehoash, King of Israel consulting Prophet Elisha before going to fight the Arameans. And this was Elisha’s instruction to him.

2 King 13:15-17 Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put HIS HANDS ON THE KING’S HANDS. ‘Open the east window,’ he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. THE LORD’S ARROW OF VICTORY, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. ‘YOU WILL COMPLETELY destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”

Note what Elisha declared. God had already given the king of Israel COMPLETE VICTORY over his enemies. Yes…God has given you and I the GRACE FOR VICTORY. You and I are already set for victory anytime and every time we go out to fight the many obstacles that we face in life.

But something sadly happened just a verse later after Elisha declaration. Yes…it is true the king already knew that he would destroy the Arameans completely when he set out for battle. But…he did not take advantage of the GRACE FOR VICTORY he had at his disposal. Instead of hitting the ground as many times as he possibly could, he took the shorter route by hitting the ground three times. In essence, by not taking the time to go to the fullest extent of the GRACE given for VICTORY….the king lost the greatest gift of ALL TIMES.

I don’t know what is your story. But…the GRACE FOR VICTORY is still valid for you and me. God, by sending His Son, Jesus to die on the cross…gave you and I the FULLEST EXTENT and access to the GRACE FOR VICTORY. You don’t have to be like the king of Israel in Elisha’s time. You don’t have to cut short the GRACE at your disposal. God says….I WILL… if only you will allow me to the fullest. You are the only person who can limit your victory.

Dear friend…God is saying to you today….STRIKE THE GROUND.. as many times as you can and you will win every time and all the time. You, my friend are MORE THAN A CONQUEROR.

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through him who loved us.