From the desk of Steve Shultz:
Paige Norfleet is from Albany, OR and is very involved with our church, Jesus Pursuit. This really is a now word for the Body. Don't give up in the heat of the battle!
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Paige Norfleet:
"Press On! It's Our Hour of Triumph"
The story takes place in 2 Kings 3. Three kings along with their armies unite to overtake a wicked and brutal Moab, a people and nation drenched in sin with a thirst for more territory.
Not having relationship with God themselves, they seek the word of the Lord from the prophet Elisha concerning the outcome of this battle. The Lord not only assures them that they will successfully smite these people but He provides their immediate need for water in a land where they and their livestock are about to die of thirst. The kings obey the Lord's direction to dig trenches with nary a sign of rain, and a faithful God shows His mercy. Early the next morning the dry countryside was filled with water and they drank.
The water-filled trenches serve two purposes for these now faith-filled united kingdoms. As the morning sun shines upon the water the Moabites see it as blood and wrongly assume that the battle has already begun within the three camps that joined forces against them. The three kingdoms take advantage of their enemy's mistake and slay the Moabites as they move forward to take the land.
The King of the Moabites, seeing there is no hope for his already-defeated armies, plays a disgusting and grotesque trump card. He does the unthinkable. Perched upon the wall so that all kings and armies could watch the scene unfold, the King of Moab offers his eldest son as a burnt offering.
That one act marked the end of the battle. There was such an outrage at what had just unfolded before their eyes that in their very hour of triumph, Israel's allies simply gave up contending and went back home. God had already spoken that they would win and it was in the hour of their victory.
This story has always puzzled me. I have tried to put myself there in the midst of that battle in an attempt to gain understanding. How could they be in the final stages of defeating their enemies and then turn back before the victory could be completed?
Faith that Can Withstand
It wasn't exhaustion or fear that caused them to lay down their arms, it was outrage and disgust that led to unbelief. Outrage and disgust I can relate to on many levels. Often I have used the very words of Jeremiah, "Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are they at ease and prosper?" It can be very frustrating and disheartening to serve God with all your heart and walk in righteousness while the wicked thumb their noses at our God and continue to live seemingly carefree and lavish lifestyles. Murder and exploitation of the innocent continue as we press on waging a good war for the Kingdom of our God.
If our eyes are fixed on the natural circumstances, it can appear as though we are not gaining any ground whatsoever. In the Kingdom of our God we must always look a little deeper because we are not governed by circumstances nor are we held within the boundaries of the natural realm. The battle rages on in the realm of the spirit and it cannot be seen with our natural eyes nor can we understand it with an unrenewed mind.
I am reminded of what was invested in the lives of 12 ordinary men. Jesus spent three years not just preaching the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven but teaching them by way of demonstration. He showed them that the supernatural power of His Father could flow through mere men to heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead!
Not only did they see the effects of this power on the human body but they also saw provision as water was turned to wine and coins appeared in the mouth of fish. Food was multiplied to feed empty bellies and the word of God went forth to transform hearts. Yet in the midst of all that demonstration of power, their beloved Leader was seized in the Garden of Gethsemane and He was crucified. Later Stephen would be martyred, losing his very life for preaching the truth of this superior Kingdom. If this truly was a superior Kingdom, then why did it appear that it wasn't?
Outrage and disgust must have been present in the hearts of those who watched these scenes unfold just as they had that day when the king of Moab sacrificed his son and every one packed up and went home because they had given into feelings of defeat and "Why bother?"
Our faith cannot only be strong when God is displaying His power and we can see victory; it must be a faith that can withstand the times when it appears as though our enemies are winning. Why? Because according to Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." A more simplified version would be, "It's not faith if we can see it without natural eyes." At times it will appear as though the enemy is stronger, however things are not always what they appear to be.
No Force of Darkness Can Make Void the Promises of God
If you read the account of this battle in 2 Kings 3, you will find that God spoke these words to them: "And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand."
The promises of God must be obtained by warring with nothing more than "what He has spoken." The battle is almost always the most difficult in its final moments as our enemy throws all his cards out on the table and brandishes his most disheartening weapon. He is hoping that we will be so disgusted and discouraged that we will give up and go home believing that our God has forsaken us.
We can be assured that the faithfulness of God knows no end and that even though we cannot fully see and understand why we seemingly lose specific battles, we win the war! There will always be casualties and loss, but the prize to be obtained is greater than any loss here on earth. Hebrews 12:28-29 says, "Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire."
I love this! Even though things are being shaken where we currently stand we have access to a Kingdom that is shaken by NOTHING. Not even the forces of darkness can make void of the promises of our God and nothing can take us from His hand. If He has spoken that we win, then we must continue to fight in faith until we win! Our God is with us and He is an all-consuming fire! Fix your eyes on Jesus and don't give into the intimidation of the enemy as wickedness increases all around you.
It is the time of the harvest and the tares and the wheat have grown up together. Of course we will see wickedness, but our eyes must be fixed on the prize. God is giving us the nations as our inheritance and we must contend for it. It is the Church's hour of triumph!
Paige Norfleet
Email: paigenorfleet@gmail.com
Paige Norfleet and her husband Marty reside in Oregon with her family and attend Jesus Pursuit Church in Albany. Paige currently works with youth and young adults and has a passion to see them arise as a generation awakened to the love of Christ and fully equipped to pursue the desires of their hearts.
