Surrender Completely: Don’t Leave Your Arrows Unused
Are you asking God for complete victory while offering Him only partial obedience? In this challenging sermon from Clayton First Assembly of God, the account of King Joash and Elisha in 2 Kings 13:14–19 reveals the danger of a halfhearted response to God.
Israel was being oppressed by the Syrians, and King Joash knew he needed more than military strength or human advice. He needed divine intervention. He went to Elisha, the prophet of God, looking for help and direction.
Faith Requires Action
Elisha told the king to take a bow, place an arrow in it, open the window toward the east, and shoot. Joash obeyed, and Elisha declared that it was the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance from Syria.
The promise came after the king acted on the prophet’s instruction. He had to pick up the bow, open the window, and release the arrow. The moment reminds us that biblical faith is not passive. Faith responds to what God says.
The Unused Arrows
Elisha then instructed Joash to take the remaining arrows and strike the ground. The king struck it three times and stopped. Elisha became angry because Joash could have struck five or six times and received complete victory over his enemy.
Joash did something, but he did not follow through completely. His casual response revealed the limited commitment of his heart. He wanted the promise of victory without fully carrying out the instructions connected to it.
God sees the arrows we leave unused. He sees the areas of our lives that we have not completely surrendered to Him.
Partial Obedience Produces Limited Results
It is possible to respond to God just enough to feel obedient while still holding something back. We may pray for healing in a relationship while continuing to speak disrespectfully. We may ask for financial wisdom while refusing to change our habits. We may want our children to follow Christ while rarely allowing them to see us pray or study the Bible.
Like Joash, we strike the ground three times and stop. Then we wonder why the same spiritual battles continue returning.
Surrender What Is in Your Hand
A bow, an arrow, a staff, a sling, a fishing net, or a small lunch may appear insignificant by itself. When surrendered to God, however, an ordinary object can become part of something extraordinary.
Victory does not come from the object or our strength. It comes from God as we trust Him and follow His direction. We are responsible for obeying; God controls the outcome.
Follow Through With God
Do not stop praying because the answer has not arrived as quickly as you hoped. Do not abandon God’s truth because you feel discouraged. Keep believing, keep obeying, and keep moving in the direction God has given you.
Watch the full sermon to discover what the unused arrows reveal about commitment and why complete surrender is essential when seeking God’s direction, deliverance, and victory.
