Use Your Brain for “No Brainers”

We have to be careful about “no-brainers.” When David first attempted to move the Ark of the Covenant to the capital, he just did the obvious: he put it on a cart. He did not bother to see if there were any special instructions for moving this most sacred object. There were – having been prescribed in the Law of Moses – and David’s neglect cost a man his life and delayed unnecessarily the restoration of the Ark to its central position in their culture and government. In 1 Chronicles 15, however, as David planned the final movement of the Ark, he did it in accordance with the Law.

This teaches us that not only the what but also the who and the how are important to God. Methods are important when they reflect on the character and nature of god. Man’s methods are OK as long as they do not violate God’s nature. We do not do God’s work with man’s methods if those methods contradict God’s holiness, justice, glory or love.

So, I need to consider carefully my service to God. Do my methods reflect God’s nature?

Use Wisdom when Pursuing God's Plan

When David assumed the throne of Israel, he needed to consolidate the kingdom while at the same time restore God to the center of public life. He realized that one thing he could do was to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to the seat of civil and spiritual power. It was one of those obvious things, a “no-brainer” if you will.

Yet, David showed wisdom in pursuing something even this obvious, something even this dear to him, something even this important to the other leaders. 1 Chronicles 13 says that before he did it, he conferred with each of his officers, including them in the decision. Then he went public with his idea and asked the whole assembly what they thought of the idea: Was it a good idea? Was it the will of God? Having obtained the blessing of the leadership core in the capital, he then used this occasion to unite the whole nation. He included the priests in the planning and implementation of this symbolic act, restoring them to a place of influence that they had lost under the previous regime.

This story teaches a valuable lesson. Even in the occasional “no-brainer” that you encounter in leadership:

• Confer with your leaders – individually.
• Ask the assembly of influencers for their input.
• Return spiritual leaders (prayer warriors?) to places of significance.
• Capitalize on the opportunity to bring the people together.
• In the planning and implementation, make sure that you celebrate!

Sure, it's God's plan, but use wisdom in pursing God’s plan!

I’m trying to get back on a normal schedule (daily, M-F) for these postings. It’s been a great holiday season, but a lot of travel (Thank God for fun with family and safety on the road!) has interrupted my routine. I hope you are enjoying a God-blessed season!

A Christmas Prayer

This week the following prayer appeared in “Soul Care” a daily devotional emailed to Nazarene pastors:

Let Your goodness Lord appear to us, that we, made in your image, conform ourselves to it. In our own strength we cannot imitate Your majesty, power, and wonder, nor is it fitting for us to try. But Your mercy reaches from the heavens through the clouds to the earth below. You have come to us as a small child, but you have brought us the greatest of all gifts, the gift of eternal love. Caress us with Your tiny hands, embrace us with Your tiny arms and pierce our hearts with Your soft, sweet cries.
— Bernard of Clairvaux

This is my prayer for you this Christmas. May you experience his presence. Emmanuel.

God Does Have a Plan for You, Pastor

In 1 Chronicles 11, we read that the people came together to anoint David King (vv. 1 and 4) and that David entered into a compact with them concerning his leadership.

As I thought about what took place then, I remembered that God had already chosen and anointed David to be king. God had been using him in prior assignments to prepare him. God had promised him that he would be king. The people – in time of leadership change – simply recognized God’s plan for David to be king. They recognized that their call was preceded by God’s own. They recited how God had said to David, “You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.”

The lesson in this story is particularly helpful to me as a pastor waiting God’s plan to unfold. (It is also instructive for others who are in Christian service – both lay and clergy…) Now, I know that there are some who say, “God doesn’t care where you pastor. He wants to be able to use you wherever you are.” I understand what they are saying, but what comfort to know the call of God to serve a particular body of people does not depend on man’s wisdom but on God’s will.

Let me share my prayer from this morning. I hope it will be encouraging to you:

“God you have a particular place for me to shepherd your people. You have chosen me and anointed me. You have been using me and preparing me. You have promised that that your call is irrevocable. Now, reveal to me the fulfillment of your choice and purpose of your anointing. Reveal to me and to the people who will call me for what particular assignment you have been preparing me. As you have used me in the past, so now use me in a new place. Reveal your plan also to the people who will call me. May they come together and may we make a compact which reflects your will and purpose for pastor and people.”

One other thing I noticed in this passage. God had said to David, “You will shepherd my people,” before he said, “You will become their ruler.” Before he could lead them as king, he was first to shepherd them:

• Protect
• Feed
• Care for
• Lead to pasture and living water

Only when he became their shepherd would he be able to be their leader:

• Expand and establish the kingdom
• Command the military
• Build his capital city
• Administer the kingdom

The implications for a pastor are obvious.

Hope you are having a great Christmas. God is with us!

Brave Prayer Warrior

1 Chronicles 8.40
The sons of Ulam were brave warriors who could handle the bow. They had many sons and grandsons – 150 in all..

Do you want to have many sons and grandsons in the Kingdom? Be a brave warrior who can handle the bow:

• To bear spiritual descendants in the Kingdom, we must be brave. Go where no one else will go. Face the challenges no one else will face. Do it alone if you have to.
• To have sons and grandsons in the Kingdom, we must be warriors ready to engage in “hand-to-hand combat.” Trained. Fit. Strong. Equipped. Armed. Led. Tough. Sacrificial.
• To bring many to Christ the King we must be able to handle the bow. Perhaps we should pronounce it as in bow in prayer. Send sharp arrows of intercession before we engage in face-to-face evangelism. Pray to pierce hearts. Pray for specific targets. (How many arrows are in your prayer quiver? Fervent prayer. Faithful prayer.

For the glory of Christ, win the battle for souls. Be brave! Be a warrior! Be a man or woman of prayer!

One Happy Man

1 Chronicles 7.40a
All these were descendants of Asher—heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders.

In Genesis 30.13 we are told how Asher came to get his name. He brought his mother happiness and so she named him “Happy.” That’s not a bad way to be thought of, is it? One who makes others happy? One who is happy himself?

I like how the descendants of Asher are described:

1. Heads of families
2. Choice men
3. Brave warriors
4. Outstanding leaders

I wouldn’t mind being known as:

1. The head of my family – providing spiritual leadership, service and sacrifice in the manner of Jesus
2. A choice man – one worthy to be chosen – by God, by my wife, by my employer, etc.
3. A brave warrior – not one to shrink away from a challenge – even if it involves great personal cost and risk
4. An outstanding leader – out front in matters of faith and following God; distinguishing myself as one above the crowd

That would make me “one happy man.” A true descendant of Asher!

Given Responsibility and Regulations

1 Chronicles 6.31-32
These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest there. They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.

Those who were put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord were followers who were in charge.

• In order to be “put in charge” – to be given responsibility – they needed to be good followers.
• In order to be good followers they needed to be given regulations.

If you are a leader, you would do well to remember these two thing: Give those who follow clear instructions – the regulations for their jobs, the outcomes you expect. Then step back and let them do their job in their way – put them in charge, make them responsible for the outcomes.

Who Wins Your Battles?

1 Chronicles 5.18-22
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. 20 They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. 21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile.

In this account of the struggle of God’s people to possess the promise, we read that these tribes had men:

• Ready for military service
• Able-bodied
• Who could handle
• Shield
• Sword
• Bow
• Who were trained for battle

But it was God who gave them victory over their enemies because:

• They cried out to him during battle.
• They trusted in him.
• The battle was God’s

What a great picture of the duality of Christian leadership and service: We must be ready and spiritually fit. We need to take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) in order to engage our community up close and personal. We also must know how to use a bow – a weapon used from further away. We must be trained by our pastors and leaders for the particular battles we face.

But ultimately, the battle is God’s! We must cry out to him and trust in him – in his ways and his power and his outcomes.

Who wins your battles? Do you try to do it all yourself? Do you just sit back and expect God to do it without you? We are in a battle for the souls of men. Yes, the battle is the Lord’s. So let us confidently prepare and then cry out to God as we engage the battle.

That You Would Bless Me

1 Chronicles 4.9-10: Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.


The Bible says that Jabez – birthed in pain – was more honorable than his brothers. I wonder - is there a connection between pain and honor? If so, what is there about pain that could lead to honor? I thought of several possible responses to pain which would help focus us and thus bring about honor: Purification... Prioritization... Prayer... Courage... Tenacity... Empathy

Of all these, prayer seems to be the response that brought Jabez to his place of being honorable. Pain taught Jabez to cry out to the Lord. God heard his cry and granted Jabez’ request to:

• Bless him
• Enlarge his territory
• Guide him with his hand
• Keep him from harm
• Free him from pain

When I read this story, a prayer welled up from deep within me: “Bless me, O God!” As I come out of my own valley of pain, may you birth in me such honor and integrity that you can entrust me with...

• Your blessing – oh for your presence and anointing on my ministry!
• Greater responsibility – an enlarged territory for greater harvest and more praise to God.
• More influence on the lives of young ministers and growing lay people.
• Opportunity to love people and care for them in greater ways.
• Making your covenant known to me (Psalm 25.14) – guide me with your hand to where I should go.
• Keeping me from harm as well as my family, my friends, my church, my community.
• Freedom for the painful trials I endure – no ill-effects such as residual bitterness or lack of trust or hardened heart.

God granted Jabez his request as he called out from his pain. May God grant your requests as you call out to him as well.

Dew Drops - II

Once again – as I read 1 Chronicles chapter 2 – I was confronted with a list of names. Were there any dew drops glistening on the family tree? I found one “on” verse 10.

Of the list of Judah’s descendants up until the time of King David, only one was identified as a leader: Nahshon. As a matter of fact, he was called the leader of the people of Judah, not a leader, but the leader. The ancestral head of the tribe – Judah – was not much of a “leader.” The next generations did not produce any who were called leaders. But with Nahshon, the leadership fortunes of the tribe turned around. Nahshon was the leader of Judah.

Verses 11 to 17 provide a few more details into the family tree of Judah. Do you remember Boaz? He was a respected member of his community – Bethlehem. Nahshon was his grandfather. Boaz was also the great-grandfather of David, the second King of Israel. God – through the leadership of Nahshon – had prepared for the coming of the King. Nahshon was used of God to lead the people of Judah to have the kinds of values that Boaz had (Read about him in the Biblical book of Ruth.) and that were passed on to David.

My prayer is that I would be a leader among God’s people – that all my “clan” would be leaders. I do not mean leading in the sense of wielding power or even in garnering respect, but leading in the sense of bringing about God’s kingdom, preparing the way for the King.

May you, too, be a leader in bringing the values and the person of Jesus to your community.

(PS – Did you catch any glistening rays off Peleg? I did, and sadly not all rays shed light on positive things. When I read 1 Chronicles 1.19, I was saddened that Peleg was remembered as a divider. I asked God for grace to be a uniter, not a divider…)

Dew Drops

Ever ask yourself, “What can I get out of reading those lists of names and families in the Bible? Try what I do: look for dew drops glistening on the family tree!

Open a Bible to 1 Chronicles, chapter 1. Even when you look at it, you are tempted to think, “There’s not going to be a whole lot of inspiration in my Bible reading today!” Well, outside from the fact that each and every name listed there represents a life that is precious to God, you can find some drops of dew that glisten in the sunlight of God’s love.

Take verse 10 for example. It says, “Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth.”

When I read that, I thought, “Oh, that I may grow to be a mighty warrior!” Then I asked myself, “How can I do that? How can I grow to be a mighty warrior in God’s army?” Quickly the answers came:

• Humility and submission before my Commander
• Total obedience to my Commander
• Deployment according the His plan
• Courage in the face of a brutal enemy
• Nourishment from the supply lines of heaven
• Careful observation and awareness of my surroundings
• Training – to gain skills and to increase stamina and strength
• Rest
• Partnerships with other warriors around me
• Faith in the strength of my Commander
• Fighting through fears
• Tenacity
• Fervor
• Seeking wisdom from my Commander
• Refusing to be defeated – coming back from setbacks

May God help me to grow to be a mighty warrior! May you, too, grow as a warrior in his cause.

(PS – I noticed another dew drop but didn’t examine it closely. It is in verse 19 about Peleg. What do you see there?)

Blag-O-Sphere

Last month I entered the blog-o-sphere with the publication of my first blog: “Who Said It Couldn’t Be Done?” Today I am going to enter the Blag-O-Sphere.

I used to be a resident of Illinois. Yesterday, Rod Blagojevich, the governor of my former state, was arrested on some pretty serious charges. Guilt or innocence will not be determined by the opinions expressed by conservatives, liberals, or moderates. It has already been determined by the actions of Governor Blagojevich. My concern is the state of truth in our day.

“Did he do it” should be replaced with a more serious question: “So what?” If there is no absolute truth, then it doesn’t really matter that a governor attempted to sell a senate seat from his state. It doesn’t really matter that he attempted to extort money from a children’s hospital or get people fired for exercising their editorial freedom. If there is truth of the absolute variety, then that means that our actions can be judged against that truth.

I think that most people, in their hearts, believe that there is absolute truth, a truth that is more than the truth of factual evidence: He did it or he didn’t do it. There is truth that can shed light on the rightness or wrongness of what he did or didn’t do. Which kind of world do you want to live in? A world where everyone makes his/her own truth or a world that is grounded in eternal truth? Think about it:

• Do you want to live in a world where it is OK to use the public trust given you to extort money from those over whom you hold power?
• Do you want to live in a world where it is OK to beat to death pubescent prisoners and bury them in the backyard?
• Do you want to live in a world where it is OK to deny a person basic health and dignity issues because of age (pre-born or post-peak), race, sex, religion, or lifestyle?
• Do you want to live in a world where it is OK to expect someone else to take care of you because you don’t want to work?
• Do you want to live in a world where it is OK to run your stockholders’ and employees’ business into the ground while gaining millions of dollars in personal benefit?
• Do you want to live in a world where it is OK to shape the rules of employment such that you can perform in ways that do harm to the health of the company that writes your paycheck and the economy that sustains your job?
• Do you want to live in a world where it is OK to viciously and falsely attack your political opponent and after the dust of an election clears say, “That was then; this is now?”
• Do you want to live in a world where it is OK to be so consumption-focused that we forget all about the value of the earth from which we derive our goods or the life of the man in the door at Walmart?

What kind of world do you want? I want a world of truth, a world where what we say and what we do matters. It’s the only kind of world worth living in.

So, did he do it? We will certainly find out, but the truth already is. So what?

Called, Chosen, Faithful

In Revelation 17 I recently read how the ten kings “will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (v. 14).

I realize that there may be a time when God’s children will suffer under the power of wicked people and policies. But, a day is coming when all that will be reversed. The kingdoms and authorities and rulers of darkness will make war against the Lamb. The Lamb will overcome them because he alone is King of kings and Lord of lords! And, with the Lamb will be his called, chosen, and faithful followers.

Will you be there with Jesus? You can be, and so can your family. Jesus overcomes because of who he is. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (Revelation 12.11). Jesus shed his blood for the sins of the world. If we, by faith, answer his call and confess him as Lord, we become his called faithful and chosen followers.

For me, this means I will be with him! Lana will be with him! Jenny, Eric, Avery and Soon-to-Be will be with him! Emily will be with him! Jaclyn will be with him! Amy and Jon will be with him! Praise the Lord! For, by his grace, we are:

• Called!
• Chosen!
• Faithful!

See you there!

Josiah - Change Agent

After King Hezekiah, who was described in 2 Kings 18 as unique among all the kings of Judah in following the Lord, there came 2 wicked kings, who led Judah into evil for 57 years. Two generations had squandered the results of Hezekiah’s revival. But God raised up a young King, Josiah, who brought about a great returning to the Lord.

I’ve often thought of Josiah as an agent of revival, but as I read his story last week, I realized that he could just as easily be described as a change agent. You can read his story in 2 Kings 22 and 23. in his story, there is much to be learned about leading change.

When we take God’s Word seriously, as did Josiah, we are not only revived ourselves, but God uses us to change the people we influence. In chapter 22, after he heard the Word of the Lord and repented:

1. Josiah called the elders together. These elders were those whose help he needed to gather the people and whose support he needed to garner the confidence and gain the obedience of the people.
2. Josiah then went up to the temple of the Lord. He knew he needed God’s help to undertake such a task. He wanted the people to be in the presence of the Lord when he introduced the changes to them. He knew that God’s presence moves the hearts of people to respond positively to change.
3. The people – all the people, from least to greatest – were to join the king for this monumental event.
4. Josiah read all the words of the Book of the Law. The change encompassed all of God’s will. It was not to be partial ill-defined.
5. Josiah stood by the pillar. Hallelujah! It is great to know that when we are called to be change agents, we are invited to stand in the strength of our God: his might and majesty, our heritage and history, a foundation of faith.
6. Josiah renewed the covenant – in the presence of the Lord – to: follow the Lord, to keep his commands, and to confirm the Word of God.
7. Josiah’s obedience and faith enabled the people to respond by pledging themselves to a covenant with their God.

Having gone on record, Josiah was ready to begin the works of repentance and revival in daily life. He could only do this with the support and help of the elders and the people. He needed their hearts and hands to be engaged in the change.

Christian leader, be a change agent. Like Josiah, turn to the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength. Do so quickly – before it is too late, before the people are too far gone to effect a change:

1. Call the leaders together. You can’t do it without them. You can’t make changes without the support of the leadership.
2. Go to the temple – pray, worship, wait in the presence of the Lord. Announce the change in the place God’s hearing and in the context of his blessing. Recognize that this change is at root a spiritual, God-driven change. (If not, for God’s sake and the sake of his people, don’t do it!)
3. Invite all the people to participate. Communicate clearly to everyone, not just those you think support the change or will be affected by the change. Include everyone! Value all people equally!
4. Don’t talk about just the parts of the change you think will be popular. Include all the aspects of the change.
5. Know that Jesus stands beside you!
6. Commit yourself to the change – publicly!
7. Call for the response of all the people.

If you do these things, like Josiah, you will be ready to be a Change Agent.

May Your Testimony Be Like King Hezekiah’s

In 2 Kings 20, King Hezekiah was informed that his days were nearing an end. He prayed to God for healing. In that prayer – recorded in verse 3 – we find a wonderful testimony of God’s grace at work in Hezekiah’s life. (It so happens that Hezekiah was given 15 more years of life in response to this prayer, but the real value of the prayer for us is seeing the confidence we can have at the end of life.)

It is my desire that at the end of my allotted days on earth my testimony be like that of King Hezekiah:

• Lord, remember... (nothing to hide).
• Lord, I have walked before you faithfully (without interruption).
• Lord, I have walked before you with wholehearted devotion (without any rivals or regrets).
• Lord, I have done what is good in your eyes. (Actions and work are important and are “measurable” against God’s standards, the only standards that matter.)

By God’s grace, may I come to the end of my journey with a similar testimony. And, may your testimony be like that of King Hezekiah.

Defeating the Enemy

In 2 Kings 18, the King of Assyria - Sennacherib - was threatening to overthrow God's people. His lies were not effective against the people of God. (See yesterday's post...) In the closing verses of 2 Kings 18 and in chapter 19, we see specifically how King Hezekiah overcame the threat of the enemy. If we follow this biblical example, we, too, can thwart the strategy of Satan.

Don't respond to Satan (18.36).

Share your concerns with God's people for encouragement and strength (18.37).

"Repent", mourn, humble yourself, and go to God with these threats from Satan (19.1).

Share with your spiritual advisor and enlist his/her help, wisdom, prayers, and guidance (19.2 ff).

Affirm God's deliverance (19.6 ff).

Pray:

• Lay out the problem before God - all of it (19.14).
• Recognize God's majesty and sovereignty (1915).
• Establish solidarity between you and God in the attack of Satan (19.16).
• Recognize Satan's strength against those who don't trust in God (19.17).
• Note the difference between our God and all other forms of strength (19.18).
• Tie victory to God's name and glory (19.19).
• Receive and believe the answer (19.20).

Let God speak to the enemy (19.21 ff).

God will work it out (19.35 ff).

Victory is yours today! Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Lies of the Enemy

There is an awe-inspiring story of God's victory for his people in 2 Kings 18 and 19. I would encourage you to read it. These chapters contain the story of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a good king in Judah, one of the best:

Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses (2 Kings 18.5-6).

More often than not, such followers of God are the targets of Satan's strategies. In the case of Hezekiah, Satan used Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to lie to the king of Judah. As we look at the strategy of Sennacherib, we can learn and be prepared to face the lies of Satan. In the story, we see how Sennacherib "lied" to Hezekiah:

1. My many representatives will intimidate and overwhelm you.
2. Your strategy and strength are empty words.
3. Your former allies won't help you.
4. You have displeased God.
5. I'll "bargain" with you (derisively).
6. The LORD himself sent me; I'm doing God's work, exacting his judgment against you.
7. I will paralyze all your friends, allies, and fellow servants.
8. Forget God and his city and follow me to a better life.
9. No god can save from my power, not even yours.

As I pondered those lies, I recognized many of them - for Satan has used them against me! And, he will try to use them against you. But we can fight the lies of Satan with the truth of God's Word! Remember this:

1. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (2 Kings 6.16).
2. Our words are powerful! We overcome by the word of our testimony (Revelation 12.11).
3. Even if friends deserted us, "The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength" (2 Timothy 4.17).
4. "I know that you are pleased with me for my enemy does not triumph over me" (Psalm 41.11).
5. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter 5.8-10). And, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4.7-8a).
6. "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11.14).
7. "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2.13).
8. We are "looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11.10).
9. "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4.4).

Check out tomorrow's blog (from chapter 19) and learn more strategies to overcoming the attacks and lies of the enemy!

Have a wonderful and victorious Wednesday in Jesus Christ!

Shoot, Shout, and Strike!

There is a great story in 2 Kings 13.10-19. King Jehoash of Israel went to see Elisha, when the prophet was nearing the end of his life. As a matter of fact, it is the last recorded incident in the life of the great man of God.
As I read the story, I was reminded of the importance of symbols in our faith. At least three symbols are involved in this story. They are three actions that the man of God tells the king to take.
To symbolize my faith, I must be willing to...

• Shoot! Get a bow and some arrows. (Let God tell you what that means in your journey right now.) Allow God's hands to guide my own. Open the window toward the east (The sunrise, new beginnings, etc...) Shoot at a target I'm not sure of just yet, but still do it in obedience to God. (Remember, in Genesis 12, Abram left home without knowing where he was headed!)
• Shout! The Lord's arrow! It only took one arrow for Jehoash, and if I am willing, to listen, it will only take one for me. I don't need a lot of options to choose from. I need to know the one way that God is leading! Then I can proclaim victory! I can proclaim victory over Aram - honestly confront and name the problems/obstacles - and claim victory!
• Strike! The remaining arrows symbolize taking the solution in hand and seeing it through. God assured victory, but the people of God would need to follow through in real live battles to see the deliverance of the Lord. Striking the arrows symbolized making the commitment necessary to see God's plan completely worked out by God's help and our efforts. It is the leader taking a stand and pressing through on God's agenda. "I'll finish what I start - wherever it takes me - and victory will be more than I can imagine. But I must symbolically and confidently proclaim victory and my intention to go all the way with God!

Shoot! Shout! Strike! You will completely defeat your enemy!