Go Big or Go Home​

Kings 13:14-19
14 Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 15 Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.
16 “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17 “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”
18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped.
19 The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.

This week, pastors and leaders from all across Canada met in person for the first time since COVID, for a ministerial summit. We were richly blessed with four days of incredible and uplifting messages, four days of insightful and motivating seminars. But despite the amazing and spiritually moving experience, one particular moment stands out for me. The moment that has given me a sense of hope, excitement, and assurance that we as a union are moving in a meaningful and Spirit-led direction, was when our SDACC president, Paul Llewellyn, spoke.

His words hit us hard with a challenge to dare to ask God for more. Not for more material gains, not for safety and security, but rather, for the will to share the gospel message. He challenged us to go forth filled with holy boldness, trusting in the Lord of hosts to win souls for Jesus.

Pastor Llewellyn further challenged us to ask big for our ministries, to ask big for our families, and to ask big for our own relationship with God.

King Jehoash was blessed to receive one last audience with the prophet Elisha just before the man of God died. His message encouraged the king that, despite the struggles with nations surrounding Israel, the king, by God’s grace, would see a victory. However, that victory would be limited by the king’s own limited faith. He dared not ask for a complete victory, signifying it by striking the ground only three times with the arrows.

In our own experience, have we limited what God can do in this country because we lack the faith to ask big? The choices we make now, moving forward, will tell. Whether or not we see fruit will disclose the amount of faith we held. Are we willing to ask big of God?

In these times, we need to hold each other up, hold each other accountable, and support our leadership–encouraging them to believe big and ask big of God for the saving work in our field.

The message from the “top” was a challenge to all of us, not just pastors, and I have no doubt we will see the glory of God manifest itself as we all step out in faith and for that victory the Lord desires to give us.