Strike

Background: Here's an episode from Elisha's life. He asked the king of Israel Jehoash, to bring his bow and arrow with him and shoot out the east window. Then a strange test, Elisha asked the king to take the arrows and 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."

Lesson: Elisha was disappointed and rather angry with the king of Israel, to have not shown diligence in striking the ground. The enemy is not a friend. We've got to have passion for the victory-My prize is to see all my loved ones entering into the kingdom of God, young and old. Jesus wanted His home in heaven filled with All of His loved ones, and for that cause, He diligently persevered and didn't dilly dally in making the utmost sacrifice, a filthy rag like me should have never deserved. How desperately do I love my loved ones to be so moved that I sincerely did something about it.

An episode from my life-My brother Abraham, had been sidetracked for a long number of years, did all the things wrong that we could have possibly thought of. Whenever I went home from college for my summer vacations, I would be broken hearted to see the amount of pain my parents were going through because of his behaviour. In my final year in June when I went home I was soooooooo agitated by the entire atmosphere at home, I couldn't stand it any longer. For the first time in my life, I felt indignation rise up inside of me against the evil one trying to take away my brother, and I prayed the longest and most sincere prayer I had ever prayed with tears and longing and agonising, with my parents. From that day on I continued to pray for my brother every day, with my best friend Mary, at college. Then in October, my brother called me at college (he had never talked to me properly before that) and the first thing he said was "I want you to pray for me right now". Now in our hostel the phone would be in a common area where everyone would come and hang out, I felt awkward but I wasn't going to let go of the opportunity I had found. I prayed. My brother listened quietly on the other end, without so much as a word. At the end of the prayer, he said "I am feeling so much better now". By the end of that year in December my brother went for a Holy Convocation through our church and was baptised in water and gave his life to the Lord. I met him on the 31st of December and my heart was sooooooooo overjoyed to meet him, like having a brand new brother. Beautiful, peaceful, humble, loving caring, wanting to share of God's love. Now during his wayward days, he had destroyed his career and after 5 yrs from that incident, God has blessed him with a wonderful job now and he is doing so well. He recently received an award for being a good employee, in the 1st month of his work!!!

Yes I struck the arrow 1 time, 2 times and definitely 3 times like the Israelite king and I was going to give up, when I read this chapter from 2 Kings 13 and God's Word encouraged me, not to give in like the king did and to keep on striking the enemy with the sword of the Word of God until he is completely destroyed.

Conclusion: I encourage you my brother my sister, to not give up, but to keep on. If we've become luke warm, lets ask the Lord to ignite the fire of Holy desire in our hearts, that we may win souls into the kingdom of God, no matter how difficult the situation may look, we've got a Saviour Who can sympathise with us, because He has been there and He never gave up, even when I didn't deserve it, he went ahead and hung on the cross for me. Let's take up our crosses, for His yoke is easy, let's work with passion for the one thing that pleases God, to be united with His loved ones. Us and our families. God's family.