Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, King Joash of Israel went down to him, and wept before him, crying, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows"; so he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, "Draw the bow"; and he drew it. Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. Then he said, "Open the window eastward"; and he opened it. Elisha said, "Shoot"; and he shot. Then he said, "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! For you shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until you have made an end of them." He continued, "Take the arrows"; and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground with them"; he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Aram until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Aram only three times."

2 Kings 13:14-19

Give it all you have. Never short change yourself. Don't do anything half hearted. Be enthusiastic in your own response to God's ultimate victory in your own life.

In this story, the king's nonchalance cost him dearly. He won an incomplete victory. How many spiritual victories do we forfeit because of our own lack of zeal?

Godly zeal is love on fire.

Our Daily Bread - October 23, 2004