He Smote Thrice and Stayed.
Our faith and perseverance are crucial in achieving victory over our adversaries, and God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.
F.B. Meyer emphasizes the importance of persistent faith and effort in spiritual battles, using the story of the dying prophet Elisha and King Joash as a metaphor for our own struggles. He illustrates that our victories are directly proportional to our faith; striking only thrice leads to limited success, while striking more fervently can lead to complete victory. Meyer encourages believers to continue striving in prayer and action, even when faced with weakness, reminding them that God's strength is perfected in our weakness. The sermon calls for a relentless pursuit of spiritual growth and victory over adversaries, urging believers not to settle for mediocrity in their faith.
Text
He smote thrice and stayed. 2 Kings xiii. 18.
A STRIKING spectacle. The dying prophet, with his thin hands on the muscular hands of the young king, as he shoots his arrow through the eastern window; the exhortation to smite the remaining arrows on the ground; the bitter chiding that the king had struck thrice only, instead of five or six times. What lessons are here! The Lord Jesus put his hands upon ours. Here is the reverse to the incident referred to. Ours are weak, his are strong; ours would miss the mark, his will direct the arrows, if only we will allow Him, with unerring precision. We shoot, but the Lord directs the arrow's flight to the heart of his foes.
Our success is commensurate with our faith. If we strike but thrice, we conquer but thrice. If we strike seven times, we attain a perfect victory over the adversary. Is not this the cause of comparative failure in Gospel effort? Souls are not saved because we do not expect them to be saved. A few are saved, because we only believe for a few. It is one of the most radical laws in the universe of God, and one which our Lord repeatedly emphasized, that our faith determines the less or more in our own growth, and in the victories we win for Christ. Do not stay, 0 soul‑winner, but smite again and yet again in the secret of thy chamber, that thou mayest smite Satan, and compel him to acknowledge thy might.
Let us not stay, though the energy of earlier days may be ebbing fast. The sanctified spirit waxes only stronger and more heroic, as Elisha's and Paul's did, amid the decay of mortal power. The Lord will say to us, as He did to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
Sermon Outline
- The Lord Jesus Directs Our Efforts
- Our Success is Commensurate with Our Faith
- Don't Stay, Keep Striking
- Sanctified spirits wax stronger in weakness
- God's strength is made perfect in our weakness
Key Quotes
“Our success is commensurate with our faith. If we strike but thrice, we conquer but thrice. If we strike seven times, we attain a perfect victory over the adversary.” — F.B. Meyer
“Do not stay, 0 soul-winner, but smite again and yet again in the secret of thy chamber, that thou mayest smite Satan, and compel him to acknowledge thy might.” — F.B. Meyer
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- We must continue to strike and persevere in our efforts, even when our energy and motivation are waning.
- Our faith determines the extent of our success, and we must expect more from God in our Gospel efforts.
- God's strength is made perfect in our weakness, and He can use our weaknesses to achieve greater victories.