Complete or Incomplete Victory?

Have you ever dealt with the same problem over and over again? I am not talking about having a problem in your life and dealing with it and then forgetting all about it. I am talking about having a problem in your life and dealing with it. Then later, maybe in a couple of hours, days, weeks or maybe even months it is back. You are facing the very same problem.

I have had this happen in my life. I have also seen it happen in the lives of a lot of other people. Now this is both good and bad. It is good that other people have had this same problem because it keeps me from feeling like the “Lone Stranger.” It is bad because they keep dealing with the same problem over and over again. This can be very frustrating for all involved.

I recall a young man that I was acquainted with several years ago. He was struggling in his walk with God. This young man really loved God, yet there was a battle going on in his life that was continual. I noticed that he would start having a problem with his worship. It seemed like he would lose his joy. Then pretty soon he would start to miss a service here and there. In fact it wouldn’t be long until he would just stop coming to church altogether.

As I came to recognize the signs I would try to intervene before it progressed too far. I would go to him and ask what was wrong? I would try to pray with him. I would try to spend extra time with him just being his friend. We would go golfing or fishing. Sometimes we would just sit and talk about sports or school. Pretty soon I would see a positive change take place. He would become regular in his attendance. He would worship more freely. He seemed happier and more satisfied. Sometimes this would last for just a short time and sometimes it would go good for months. Yet it always seemed to end the same way.

Try as I might I never was able to get this young man to be honest with me about what it was he was dealing with. I really wish he would have said what the problem was. I thought maybe I knew, but wasn’t for sure until it was too late. One day the problem defeated him and destroyed his life and the lives of his family.

I am reminded of a message my father preached many years ago. In fact, it was one of those that need to be preached over and over again, and he did just that. The title of the message was, “Complete or Incomplete Victory!”

A king walked into the hospital room of a dying man. Tears begin to stream down his face as he gazed upon the man lying there on his death bed. In fact, he was so distraught that he fell across the bed and wept, crying out, “What will we do when you die.”

The man on the bed was the prophet Elisha and the king was Joash of Israel. Israel was under attack from Syria. The king knew that he needed the guidance of the prophet in order to have victory in battle. Reliance upon the old prophet was his security blanket. The prophet was “sick of his sickness whereof he died…” God pretty much felt sorry for the king and for Israel. Elisha told the king to take his bow and arrow and shoot the arrow out of the window. He then told the king the arrow was a sign of victory. Israel would defeat Syria in battle. He then told the king to take the arrows and strike the ground with them. The king smote the ground three times and stopped. At this point Elisha becomes frustrated with the king and asks him why he didn’t strike the ground six or seven times. Because he failed to do this, God only allowed them to smite Syria three times. The king had been told the arrow was a sign of victory. If he would have been desperate and persistent there would have been complete victory over Syria.

The young man I mentioned earlier was never desperate or persistent in his relationship with God. Nor was he in his battle against his problem. As soon as he felt a little better he stopped fighting and eventually began to regress.

How often have I done the same thing? So many times the moment I feel the pressure release I let up. Often as soon as I feel better I say to myself, “Self, we sure won that battle! Good job!” only to face the same enemy or problem again and again.

I am encouraging myself in the Lord to get complete victory. I am going to refuse to be satisfied with anything less. Keep praying and fasting! Keep worshipping and believing. As Brother T. F. Tenny has said through the years, “You have to KEEP ON KEEPING ON!” You have to do this until you have complete victory.

God Bless!