Have you ever felt that you did everything you could, yet still failed? That at the last moment, just before reaching your goal, you faltered? Today, I bring you a story from the Old Testament that speaks precisely about this, about the importance of perseverance in the battles of our lives. Let’s open our Bibles to 2 Kings 13:14-19 and listen to the story of the prophet Elisha and King Joash.

“ 14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

  15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.

  16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.

  17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

  18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.

  19 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.”

Elisha lies on his deathbed when King Joash visits him with deep pain and worry. He knows that with Elisha’s departure, a great support will vanish from Israel. However, Elisha, even with his last strength, wants to serve. He instructs the king to take a bow and arrows and shoot out the window to the east. The arrow shot symbolizes victory over the Arameans.

Elisha then tells Joash, “Strike the ground!” Joash strikes it three times and then stops. Elisha is outraged, “You should have struck it five or six times! Then you would have destroyed Aram. Now you will only defeat them three times.”

This short story holds a profound truth. Joash believed in God’s power but lacked perseverance. He was satisfied with three shots, even though God wanted to give him much more. How often are we like this? We start on a path, pray, ask, but when we encounter the first difficulties, we give up. We “strike the ground” three times and think that’s enough.

But the enemy, as the Apostle Peter writes (1 Peter 5:8), prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. He doesn’t give up easily. Therefore, neither should we! One try is not enough, two is not enough, sometimes even three is not enough. We need perseverance, steadfastness, that inner strength that doesn’t allow us to give up the fight.

But where do we draw this strength from? The Apostle Paul writes about this in the letter to the Ephesians (6:10-18). He encourages us to put on the full armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes. We must not fight with human strength but with God’s strength, which dwells within us. “ 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

  11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

  12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

  13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

  14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

  15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

  16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

  17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

  18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

” Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” – writes the Apostle John (1 John 4:4). This is our hope, this is our strength. When we feel that our strength has run out, let us remember this promise. God does not leave us in the fight. He Himself puts His hand on ours when we draw the bow. He gives strength to shoot the arrows and gives victory.

If you find yourself in a situation where, in your previous prayers, you asked the Father for a salary increase to better cope with everyday life, and the Father does not see your current place as suitable and takes you out to bring you to a place where you receive the mentioned salary. Then do not say, “Oh Father, I wanted a higher salary, and now I don’t even have a job.” Remember when the Egyptians oppressed Joseph’s people, and Joseph’s people cried out to the Lord, He brought about a mighty deliverance for them. Before He could bring them to the Promised Land, they went against God ten times, saying, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Were there not enough graves there for us?” Or “We had a much better life in Egypt, where we could eat without limit, but here there is nothing but manna.”

We know from the Bible that our Heavenly Father set a good outcome for His people even if they often rebelled against Him. We have the privilege of knowing the Bible, we do not have to make the same mistakes when the Father brings you out of a non-functional relationship (not referring to marriage) or a job that is unworthy of you. We have a good outcome from the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, who take care of us at all times.

Finally, let us not be satisfied with three shots! Let us not give up the fight at the first difficulties! Let us be persevering, steadfast, and trust in God’s almighty power. For He is the one who gives us victory in all circumstances. “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Let us never forget this!