WHY DID YOU STOP?

2 Kings 13:16-19 BSB

Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. [17] “Open the east window,” said Elisha. So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And Elisha declared: “This is the LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram, for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them.” [18] Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped. [19] But the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to it. But now you will strike down Aram only three times.”

 

Galatians 6:9 encourages us to never become weary to the point of stopping and giving up on what we’re meant to do. Have you ever been in a situation where things seem too difficult, and you feel like giving up halfway? We know in our hearts that we’re meant to press on and keep going until we “arrive,” but because of many interfering factors, we stop and throw in the towel. Sadly, it’s usually at the cusp of “arrival, fulfilment, and breakthrough” that we stop. Why? Why do we fold and give up, especially when we’ve waited for a long time?

Elisha, on his deathbed, gave King Jehoash instructions in a prophetic form for generations to come—simple and easy instructions which, sadly, Jehoash did not follow. Elisha questioned, “Why did you stop?” Yes, why? Why did you stop doing what the Lord told you to do? Why did you stop doing things for God’s glory? Why did you stop standing up for the poor, needy, oppressed, and tormented? Why did you stop praying, worshiping, and reading the Word? Why did you stop believing and trusting God’s Word?

Have you been at the “why” crossroad? Like King Jehoash, we sometimes fail to act on the knowledge we have, and the instructions given, for various reasons. It could be that we deem the instruction insignificant, unnecessary, or just a joke. Why did you stop? Because Joash struck the ground only three times, he would strike down Aram only three times. If he had struck more times, the threat of Aram would have been eliminated. But he lacked perseverance and endurance. This sounds like many of us today, including believers. We lack endurance and perseverance to see God’s promises come to pass and give up at the easiest point. Victory over our enemies depends on our obedience. Joash must have known the significance of what he was doing, or else he would not have been held responsible.

When the Lord gives us an instruction, we know deep down it’s for our own good. According to Jeremiah 29:11, God’s plans for us are always good, but we lack the spiritual sight to see what the Lord is seeing for us and the bigger picture of the small puzzle pieces. 1 Corinthians 9:24 tells us that only one person—the first to cross the finish line—takes the prize in a race. Imagine if the declared winner stopped and then proceeded to say he should still be given the trophy because he would have won. The question would be the same: why did you stop?

What have you stopped doing? What did you stop that wasn’t done? The God of a second chance can buy back the time for you to try again. Try again, and this time, keep going and don’t stop until whatever it is, is done. They say if at first you don’t succeed, try again. Trying as many times as possible is not a failure; stopping is!

Trust the Lord. Whatever He tells us to do is part of the “good plan” of Jeremiah 29:11. Even when we stray and stop, He works it out for our good and His glory. Fear not! Remember, Philippians 4:13 assures us that we can do anything, especially something ordained by the Lord and empowered by His Spirit. You may be in a place right now where it looks like God is not interested in your case. Hold on. Before you stop and give up altogether, take one more step, say one more amen, sing one more praise, and trust the Lord one more time. He will never abandon you, according to Deuteronomy 32:8.

PRAYER: Lord, God, may I be quick to obey your instruction and not stop even when it’s daunting and doesn’t make sense in Jesus’ name, amen.

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/womenoflight/episodes/EHY-DID-YOU-STOP-e30utmg

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