🌾WHY DID YOU STOP AT THREE?🌾
🌾WHY DID YOU STOP AT THREE?🌾
Breaking Bread at the Mustard Seed with Stacey
🍞Just a Little Daily Bread…🍞
🤍Sometimes The Problem Isn’t That God Didn’t Move…Sometimes We Stopped Striking Too Soon🤍
2 Kings 13:18–19 ~
“Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Aram until you had destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.””
Elisha is nearing the end of his life when King Joash comes to see him.
And Elisha gives the king some rather unusual instructions.
He tells him to take his bow and arrows.
First, he tells him to shoot an arrow out the window and declares it…
“The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance.”
God was going to give Israel victory over Syria.
But then Elisha tells him to do something else.
“Take the arrows.”
And then…
“Smite upon the ground.”
So the king does.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
And then…
he stops.
That’s it.
Three strikes.
And Scripture says Elisha becomes angry.
He tells the king that he should have struck the ground five or six times. Had he done so, Syria would have been completely defeated. Instead, he would defeat them only three times.
And when I read that, one little phrase grabbed me…
HE STOPPED.
Nobody told him to stop.
There wasn’t an announcement from Heaven…
“Okay Joash, that’s enough.”
The arrows hadn’t disappeared.
The assignment hadn’t changed.
He just…
stopped striking.
Whew.
How many times have we done the same thing?
We prayed.
Nothing changed.
Strike one.
We tried again.
Still nothing.
Strike two.
We stepped out one more time.
Still didn’t look like what we expected.
Strike three.
And somewhere between disappointment and exhaustion, we quietly decided…
“Well… I guess that’s that.”
But what if Heaven never said stop?
Friend, there is a difference between God closing a door and you getting tired of knocking on it! 🙌🏼
There is a difference between God saying “No” and life saying “Not yet.”
There is a difference between an assignment being finished and you simply becoming frustrated with the assignment.
And we need enough discernment to know which one we’re dealing with.
Because sometimes…
the breakthrough isn’t on strike three.
Maybe it’s strike four.
Maybe it’s strike five.
Maybe it’s the prayer you almost didn’t pray! 🙌🏼
The application you almost didn’t submit.
The conversation you almost didn’t have.
The ministry you almost walked away from.
The dream you quietly packed into a box because it wasn’t happening quickly enough.
The person you’ve been praying for so long that you’ve started wondering whether your prayers are accomplishing anything.
Now hear me carefully…
This isn’t about forcing something God has clearly told you to release.
There are seasons when obedience absolutely means putting the arrows down! 🙌🏼
But don’t put them down simply because you’re discouraged.
Make sure GOD said stop! 🙌🏼
Because disappointment has a voice.
Fear has a voice.
Embarrassment has a voice.
Impatience has a voice.
Other people’s opinions have a voice.
And if we’re not careful, we’ll mistake one of those voices for God’s! 🙌🏼
Joash had something in his hand that represented victory…
but he didn’t understand the significance of continuing.
And that makes me wonder…
What have you been holding that you almost gave up on?
Maybe you’ve been praying for your family.
Strike again.
Maybe you’ve been trying to rebuild after something fell apart.
Strike again.
Maybe God gave you an idea that hasn’t grown the way you imagined.
Strike again.
Maybe you’re trying to break a pattern that’s been in your family for generations.
Strike again.
Maybe you’ve been faithful where nobody seems to notice.
Strike again.
Not because striking guarantees you’ll get everything you want.
But because obedience shouldn’t end simply because results are taking longer than expected! 🙌🏼
And can we talk about something else?
Joash had more arrows.
That’s what gets me.
HE STILL HAD ARROWS.
He didn’t stop because there was nothing left in his hand.
He stopped while he still had something to use! 🙌🏼
And somebody reading this still has some arrows.
You still have a prayer.
You still have faith… even if it’s mustard-seed-sized.
You still have another attempt.
You still have another conversation.
You still have another idea.
You still have another morning.
You still have another opportunity to obey God today.
So don’t bury your arrows because yesterday didn’t produce what you expected.
🧺Bread Basket🧺
Ask yourself this…
Did God actually tell me to stop… or did I stop because I got discouraged?
Because those are two very different things.
Jesus, give me discernment to know when You are telling me to release something and when You are calling me to persevere. Forgive me for the times disappointment has spoken louder than Your direction. When I become tired, strengthen me. When I become discouraged, remind me that delayed results do not automatically mean failed obedience. And if You’ve placed arrows in my hand and told me to strike, give me the courage to keep striking until You tell me to stop. In Jesus’ name, Amen! 🤍
So today…
look down at your hands.
If God told you to release it, release it.
But if He didn’t?
Pick that arrow back up.
You may have stopped at three…
when obedience was asking for five! 🙌🏼
#WhyDidYouStopAtThree #StrikeAgain
#KeepStriking #MakeSureGodSaidStop #DontQuitTooSoon #PickUpTheArrow #FaithfulObedience #KeepTheFaith #PersevereInPrayer #GodIsNotFinished #WednesdayDevotion #ChristianEncouragement #WomenOfFaith #MustardSeedFaith #BreakingBreadAtTheMustardSeed
Reflecting on the story of King Joash and Elisha in 2 Kings 13:18-19, I’ve come to understand how easy it is to stop trying just when breakthrough is near. In my own life, there have been moments when I felt God was silent after my initial prayers or efforts, and I was tempted to give up—much like Joash who struck only three times instead of five or six. But this story reminds us the breakthrough might lie beyond our comfort zone or initial attempts. In practical terms, "stopping at three" can mean quitting a job search when interviews don’t come quickly, giving up on a goal after a few setbacks, or ceasing to pray for a loved one when change seems slow. But the encouragement here is to discern whether God truly has said to stop or if we have simply grown discouraged. Persistence fueled by faith is different from stubbornness; it's about trusting God's timing and direction even when results are delayed. On my own journey, I’ve learned the importance of "picking up the arrow again"—going back to prayer, reapplying effort where God leads, rekindling hope when weariness threatens to take over. This story also helped me realize how external voices—fear, disappointment, impatience, or even others’ opinions—can masquerade as divine guidance. It takes honest self-reflection and prayerful discernment to know when to persist and when to release. Furthermore, the fact Joash still had arrows signifies resources and opportunities are often available even when we feel depleted. Recognizing this can shift our mindset from scarcity to abundance: we might have faith, another chance, another conversation, or God-given ideas still at hand to keep moving forward. Finally, this lesson also invites us to be compassionate with ourselves when we falter, understanding that perseverance is a daily choice. It encourages us to lean on community, scripture, and prayer as we decide whether to strike again or rest in God’s peace. In conclusion, the journey of faith and obedience is not about how quickly we see results but about trusting God’s perfect timing and keeping our hands open to the arrows He places there for us to use. When you wonder why you stopped at three, ask yourself if God really told you to stop—or if it’s time to pick up that arrow and strike once more.