“And the man of God was angry with him and said, ‘Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” 2 Kings 13:19
Dear Ones:
In the ministry of Jesus, there came a day when a father brought his son to Jesus. The son was what Scripture calls “lunatic,” uncontrolled and uncontrollable. Later in the passage, we see that he was possessed by a devil, who had the mastery over him. The father had first brought his son to the disciples, who could not cast out the devil. Jesus’ response to this “defeat,” was two-fold. He first declared: “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?” (Matthew 17:17) There is no doubt that the Lord was NOT happy with the disciples, who in the face of spiritual darkness, were helpless, and defeated. They had come so far in their faith, and yet, there was so far to go. The second thing that Jesus did, was to provide the disciples with an answer as to WHY they were defeated, “…Because of your unbelief.” (v.20) They were limited, hindered, rendered helpless before the impossible, because of a certain “kind of faith” which they did not possess. It was a very small faith, but one which was entirely fixed and dependent upon God alone. This is why the Lord will provide the disciples with a very practical solution to their “faithlessness:” “..Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” (v.21) If faith would be victorious in this circumstance, then it must be born out of prayer and fasting, so that its entire expectation is in the power of God alone. The disciples aim was too low because their vision was too small.
Another example of “aiming too low” is found in the story of Jesus, after the resurrection, and his meeting with the disciples who were on the road to Emmaus. Jesus drew near to them, and expounded the Scriptures to them. Their hearts burned within them as He talked. However, at a certain point, the Lord says to them: “O fools, and SLOW OF HEART TO BELIEVE all that the prophets have spoken.” (Luke 24:25) These disciples were limited in their faith because of “looking” too low, and not grasping the truth of the resurrection from heaven’s standpoint. It was then that the Lord began to show them how to “rise” out of their “slowness of heart to believe.” He “…expounded to them the Scriptures.” (v.27) The basis of faith is found in the truth of the Scriptures. Faith is not given by God otherwise, for He gives faith ONLY according to the truth. Later their “eyes were opened” to recognize Jesus, and to realize how He had just worked in them by His word, to bring them out of their “limitations,” to grasp to a greater and higher extent, the reality of the truth…He who WAS (and is) the Resurrection. It becomes so very evident that without a “vision,” or grasping of the truth of the greatness of God, and the greatness of the work of Christ, faith will always aim low, and not believe God for His highest and best.
Dear Father, we would not be like King Joash, who for lack of a “vision” of Thy greatness, power, and authority, was only willing to go just so far in his faith, and know the consequent victory. Give to us all a hungering and thirsting after Thee to such an extent, that we will search the Scriptures to SEE Your glory, to understand the magnitude and perfection of the work of Christ, and to believe the Lord Jesus for the FULL salvation to which we have been called. We praise and thank Thee in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad