Elisha had King Jehoash shoot an arrow, declaring it a sign of the Lord’s deliverance from Syria. Then he told the king to strike the ground with the arrows. Jehoash struck three times and stopped. Elisha rebuked him: five or six strikes would have meant complete victory; now he would defeat Syria only three times. The king’s response fell short of the promise before him. We too can welcome what God promises while responding halfheartedly, letting our willingness fade where trust should carry us forward. The arrows held no magic; deliverance belonged to God. Yet the king’s response mattered, just as ours does. A wholehearted response does not purchase God’s power; it takes His promise seriously. When God gives us reason to trust Him, why answer with only half a heart?
“And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” —2 Kings 13:19
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