Decisions: I Will be Persistent

1.  I will take responsibility 

2.  I will seek wisdom

3.  I will be a person of action

4.  I will have a decided heart

5.  I will choose to be grateful

6.  I will choose to forgive  

7.  I will persist

2 Kings 13:14-20 (ESV) Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.”  So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it.  And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it.  Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot.  And he said, “The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria!  For you shall fight the Syrians…until you have made an end of them.” 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them.  And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.”  And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.” 20 So Elisha died, and they buried him.

1.  When Elisha tells Joash to shoot the arrow out of the window.  

2.  When Elisha tells Joash to strike the ground.  

A missed opportunity.

John 16:33 (AMP) I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace.  In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.”  [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]

In “abiding victory” we understand…

-whoever calls on the Lord shall be saved (Rom. 10:13)

-greater is He that is in us (1 Jn. 4:4)

-whom the Son has set free is free (Jn. 8:6)

-if God be for us…who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31)

-we are overcomers (Rev. 12:11)

-we are conquerors (Ro. 8:37)

-we fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12)

-grave, where is your victory? (1 Cor 15:55)

-thanks to God who gives us the victory (1 Cor. 15:57)

-whoever believes in Him has eternal life (Jn. 3:16)

1 John 5:4 (AMP) For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world — our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God]. 

• How many times have we settled for a partial victory in an area where Jesus died to give us a complete victory? 

“I will persist.”

Persist — "to refuse to give up, especially when faced with difficulty, to continue steadfastly in a course of action, despite opposition.” 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT) Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price.  So you must honor God with your body.

1.  We are not alone

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NASB) “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 

2.  Embrace the process

Joshua 3:15-16 (NLT) It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks.  But as soon as the feet of the priest who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, 16 the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan.  And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry.  THEN all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho. 

Galatians 6:9 (AMP) Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in. 

“A long obedience in the same direction.”  —Eugene Peterson

3.  Put off guilt and shame

 When was the last time guilt and shame ever produced a positive change in our lives?  

Colossians 1:22 (NIV) But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation… 

4.  Keep choosing to be persistent

“Our very lives are fashioned by choice.  First we make choices.  Then our choices make us.”  —Andy Andrews

"The tragedy of life is not that man loses, but that he almost wins.”