Strike The Ground

Strike the ground until you see victory for the greatest victory has already been won at the cross. 

“Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him…The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. But they did not turn away from the sins…Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king….He did evil in the eyes of the Lord…Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him…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. “Open the east window,” he said, “Shoot!…The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory…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…the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant”   2 Kings‬ 12

God is faithful. His grace does not depend on our conduct, but on His character. It is who He is. Every time people turn to Him they find healing and compassion.   The kings had some evil but when they sought the Lord with humility, they found grace. 

There is an exchange between Elisha and the king of Israel that connects the passages today and has insight into how God wants us to live. Elisha said the arrow of victory is yours. Strike the ground! But the king only strikes the ground three times and Elisha is upset. Why? Why would Elisha be upset? The king did not go all in or give God his best.  

The kingdom of God is always advancing and expanding. We each have a role to play. We can strike the ground and love God with all of our strength, but often we do not go all in. We follow routines that require no faith and forfeit the blessings that belong to us. We wait until the end of our lives only and play it safe only to realize that we missed out on what God wanted to do in and through us. 

We tend to be a lot more like the king in the story than we realize. Where have you been holding back or half-hearted in your walk with Jesus? Where do you need to go all in? What does God want to do in and through you? Bold prayers and belief in the power of God that cause us to strike the ground repeatedly honor God.  

“Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites. I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells. I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me.” Psalms 26

David had such a different approach to life than we often do. He invited God to examine and test him. He focused on God‘s faithfulness and living with the freedom in his heart that his intentions aligned with God‘s authority. He said he did not falter. He was fully devoted to living for God alone and trusting in God’s faithfulness. David was all in with the Almighty. 

David knew that who you surround yourself with matters. Birds of a feather flock together. He said I will avoid liars, hypocrites, evildoers, and the wicked. He knew that we are all influenced by the people we are around most. Who is in your inner circle? How are you being sharpened and shaped by others? It is hard to stay on the straight and narrow if you are around naysayers or people who do not love Jesus. 

“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing. Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them. Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much. The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him. A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being. Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure.” Proverbs‬ 20

Our faithful Heavenly Father gave us wisdom so we would follow the right path that leads to everlasting life. What does wisdom tell us in this chapter? There are many things that can cause you to miss the mark. Solomon said be careful about drinking excessively, being quick to fight, laziness or too much sleep, talking bad about others, deceitful ways, differing scales and doing wrong by others. Which of these stands out to you? Are any of these stumbling blocks on your path? 

Wisdom tells us that while we all fall short of the glory of God, God is always faithful to us. We can put our trust in Him. He directs our steps and sent His Son that we would find eternal life. He does not leave us in the dark, but wants to light up our lives. God is good and faithful in all His ways. Like David, these truths should inspire praise to be always on our lips. How are you praising God today? Where does God want to lead you?

“they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people. They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me…every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer…they weary themselves with sinning. You live in the midst of deception…See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts they set traps for them…they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts…This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah‬ 9

Time and again we see the Scriptures are connected.  The bow and arrow of victory that Elisha gave as a gift to Jehoash is contrasted with bows of lying tongues and arrows of deceitfulness. God gave us tongues to speak life and hearts to worship Him, yet people turn from Him and twist truth. God said all people have been unfaithful to the God who is faithful. He said they weary themselves with sinning and hold on to stubborn hearts. 

Where does that leave us? What is the solution when we know we are not perfect? The only answer is God’s grace and the work of the cross. Truth tells us to focus on how kind and compassionate God is. God wants us to learn to love justice and embrace righteousness as our way of living, like Jesus did.  One of the best tools we have to draw close to Christ is confession.  Tell the truth as you talk to God about where you have not followed the way of faithfulness, where you have left justice undone, or not walked according to the ways of our Righteous King. 

“And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he spoke to them: “Why?…they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand…Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed…one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” Luke‬ 23

King Jehoash stopped striking the ground three times and fell short of victory. Pilate pleaded to release Jesus three times then gave into the pressure. Jesus took every beating, every insult, every nail, and gave His very life that eternal victory would be found in those who believe in Him. He is the true King who did not stop short or turn back when the cost became great. He was pierced for our transgressions, His body bent like a bow under the weight of the cross, yet He never abandoned the Father’s will. While others mocked and lied on the way, Christ remained faithful. 

At the cross we see the choice that will divide mankind and decide our fate. At the cross we see the good news and the heart of God. One criminal cursed, one feared God and repented. The difference was not the nearness of Jesus, but the response to Him. Every day we face this choice. Choose Jesus or curse Him. Follow culture or follow Christ. 

Do not forfeit your inheritance or ever forget the work of Jesus on the cross. His blood was poured out for you. How often do we quit praying, quit trusting, quit serving, or quit believing before the miracle? How often do we quit striking the ground or singing praise? 

Circumcise your heart, commit your life to Jesus, and go all in with God. Strike the ground with persistent prayer, take a step of faith with your giving, find a way you can serve others, choose to pursue a life of victory believing Jesus is with you and for you. Believe that the One who conquered sin will give you the strength to do the Father’s will. Hold nothing back from the One who held nothing back for you. Trust His power, follow His voice, and remain faithful, for the victory has already been won by Christ.