II KIngs 13-14
Right in the middle of all of this kings – up- and- kings – down business, the Lord inserts a zinger. It’s a word for us when we are engaging the enemy on behalf of ourselves or our loved ones.
Elisha is about to die, and the king of Israel knows that he will miss the prophet’s ability to protect the nation.
So Elisha goes to him and demonstrates a principle he will need.
He tells the king to put his hand on the bow, and then Elisha puts his hands on the king’s hands. He says, “Open the window toward the east and shoot.”(13:17) Then Elisha tells the king to strike the ground with the arrows. The king strikes three times and stops. At that, the prophet is angry. He says, “You should have struck the ground five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”(V.19)
So what is the big deal? First of all, the prophet opens the east window, and the east is the sign of new beginnings. He is saying that this is a new day. A new beginning.
Then when the king is to strike the earth, he is to do it until his job is complete.
That’s a big sign to us. Do you have a problem with which you have dealt for many years? Maybe there have been times when you have thought you would never win this victory.
Take a cue from Elisha: open the east window – a new beginning – and don’t stop striking until you see the victory. So many of us give up – we are not persistent.
Be persistent. The lord is on your side, but sometimes the promises He has made to us take time. Especially when others are involved.
Maybe you are praying for your marriage, or your health, or your children. You have seen in the Word of God that certain things are His will, but you don’t see them with your eyes in your life. Don’t stop striking the earth with the Word of God. Don’t stop believing that His will is coming to pass. Keep it up and you will see the victory.
In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never give up. Never give up. Never, never, never give up!”
John 2
Do you feel that your life is tasteless and colorless – like water? Do you feel that you are unimportant to God or to others? Do you feel that you have nothing to offer others which will benefit them?
If so, you may be standing there like one of the pots of water at the wedding feast. When they ran out of wine, Jesus had the waiters fill the pots with water – and then He turned the water into wine.
On the first level, this is a miracle – much like we have been seeing in Elisha’s life. Jesus brings provision when there is none.
On a deeper level, this is symbolic of the influence Jesus can have over our lives if we let Him. He can turn the tasteless water into wine.
He can turn our colorless lives into lives of great joy. He can give us a fresh start and a fresh purpose.
Sometimes we can be encountering difficulties which seem too hard to bear. He will give us strength and He will give us the ability to see beyond the present. He will cause us to love our lives just as they are, and faith for a better future. He will bring comfort to the dry places.
Ask Him, and He will show you in a magnificent way that you are important to Him.
He can turn the water into wine.
