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!