Protecting your Breakthough - Part 2

There's something unsettling about comfort. We settle into seasons of peace and prosperity, convinced that our own efforts produced them. We take credit for the calm, pride ourselves on the stability, and forget the source of every good thing in our lives. But what happens when that peace is threatened? What do we do when the breakthrough we've been experiencing suddenly feels vulnerable?

The story of King Joash offers us a sobering mirror to examine our own hearts and a powerful blueprint for protecting what God has given us.

## The Wicked King Who Knew the Truth

Joash was not a good king. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, leading Israel into idolatry and rebellion against God. He knew the rules of proper worship but chose to build altars to false gods. He understood God's commands but deliberately disobeyed them. By every measure, he was a wicked ruler.

Yet during his reign, Israel experienced peace. An unnamed deliverer had freed them from Syrian oppression, and the people lived securely—so securely they could dwell in tents outside the city walls without fear. It was a time of unprecedented safety and prosperity.

Then Joash received troubling news: Elisha, the prophet of God, was dying.

The king rushed to Elisha's bedside and wept over him, crying out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" In that moment, this wicked king revealed something profound about himself—and about us.

## The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency

Joash's tears weren't primarily about losing a spiritual father or grieving the death of a holy man. He was crying because his access to God's help was slipping away. He had been living under the umbrella of divine protection without truly surrendering to the God who provided it.

How many of us do the same thing?

We rely on the church but not on Christ. We depend on the paycheck but not on the Provider. We trust the friend, the family member, the institution—but we don't fully trust God Himself. We mistake the channel of blessing for the source of blessing.

The peace in your life right now—however imperfect it may be—didn't originate with you. That stability in your marriage, that breakthrough in your finances, that healing in your body, that restoration in your relationships—none of it came from your own strength. God is the producer of peace, the Prince of Peace, the keeper and supervisor of all that is good in your life.

If God doesn't maintain it, it won't last.

## The God Who Holds On When We Let Go

Here's where the story takes a remarkable turn. Despite Joash's wickedness, despite his insincere motives, despite his rebellious heart, Elisha still reached out and placed his hands on the king's hands.

Think about that image for a moment.

A holy prophet touching a wicked king. A man of God guiding someone who had spent his entire reign defying God. Why would God extend such grace?

Because God had made promises to Abraham. He had made promises to David. And God keeps His word—not because we deserve it, but because He is faithful to His covenant.

Perhaps you're alive today not because of your own righteousness, but because someone prayed for you. A grandmother who interceded before you were born. A parent who cried out to God during your darkest season. A friend who never stopped believing God could reach you.

God is still answering prayers for you that were prayed years ago by people who may no longer be here. Their voices are silent, but their prayers are still echoing in heaven, and God is still responding.

That's the kind of God we serve—one who holds onto us even when we're trying to pull away.

## The Arrow of Victory

Elisha instructed Joash to take a bow and arrow, then placed his own hands over the king's hands. "Open the window toward the east," he commanded. That was the direction of Syria, Israel's constant enemy.

"Shoot."

The king released the arrow.

"The Lord's arrow of victory," Elisha declared. "The arrow of victory over Aram. You will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them."

This wasn't just about military strategy. This was about declaring war on what had been stealing Israel's peace. And here's the crucial insight: God doesn't only have a recovery plan; He has an offensive plan.

We often approach God reactively, crying out for help only when we're already in trouble. But sometimes God wants us to take the initiative. He wants us to declare war on the patterns, the habits, the relationships, the strongholds that keep attacking what He's trying to build in our lives.

Declare war on the unforgiveness that keeps destroying your relationships. Declare war on the fear that keeps you from stepping into your calling. Declare war on the complacency that's slowly eroding your faith.

But here's the promise: it's a war that's already been won. The arrow is the Lord's arrow of victory. He will guide it. Just as He guided David's stone to Goliath's forehead, He will guide your obedience to its target.

## The Tragedy of "Good Enough"

Then Elisha gave another instruction: "Take the arrows and strike the ground."

Joash struck the ground three times and stopped.

Elisha became angry. "You should have struck five or six times! Then you would have struck Aram until you destroyed it. But now you will strike Aram only three times."

Why was the prophet upset? Because Joash had decided on his own that three times was enough. He didn't ask how many times he should strike. He didn't seek guidance. He just determined in his own mind that he'd done sufficient.

This is where many of us lose our breakthrough.

We pray three times and decide that's enough. We forgive once and think we're done. We serve for a season and feel we've paid our dues. We give what's comfortable and assume we've been generous.

But who told us it was enough? Did God say stop, or did we just decide we were finished?

Complete victory requires complete obedience. Total breakthrough demands total surrender. We can't set the terms and expect God's full blessing.

If you're still fighting the same battles, maybe it's because you stopped striking too soon. If your relationships keep falling into the same patterns, perhaps you haven't fully submitted to God's process. If your church isn't experiencing the growth it should, maybe the congregation decided "good enough" was actually good enough.

## How We Fight Today

We're not ancient warriors with bows and arrows, so how do we fight for our breakthrough in practical terms?

**We fight through prayer.** Organized, fervent, consistent prayer moves the hand of God. When Elijah prayed, God blinded an entire army. When the church prayed, Peter was released from prison. Prayer isn't our last resort—it's our first line of defense.

**We fight through practical obedience.** When we do what God says, we move ourselves out of the path of His judgment and put our enemies in the line of fire. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, but obedience positions us to watch Him work on our behalf.

**We fight through praise.** Something supernatural happens when we praise God in the midst of battle. Paul and Silas praised in prison, and chains fell off. Joshua's army shouted praise, and walls came down. Jehoshaphat sent the choir to the front lines, and the enemy destroyed itself.

Praise reminds us that God is bigger than our problems. It magnifies Him and minimizes our challenges. It's a weapon the enemy cannot withstand.

## The Victory Is Already Won

On a hill far away, Jesus fought the ultimate battle. On the cross, He prayed for His enemies. He practiced obedience to the Father. He offered praise even in His suffering.

They killed Him, but death couldn't hold Him.

Three days later, He rose victorious, proving that the battle was already won before we ever entered it.

We don't fight hoping to win. We fight knowing we've already won. The victory is promised. The outcome is secured. Our job is simply to keep striking the ground until God says it's enough.

So pick up your weapons—prayer, obedience, and praise. Declare war on whatever is threatening your breakthrough. And don't stop until God gives you complete victory.