1 Samuel 22:15: ‘He sent out his arrows and scattered them.”
Psalm 18:14 (CEB): “God shot his arrows, scattering the enemy; he sent the lightning and threw them into confusion.”
Psalm 68:1: “Let God arise, his enemies be scattered.”
God knows how to scatter his enemies. It is a sad thing when His own people become His enemies. Leviticus 26:33 says: “And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.” Many Scriptures tell us of God scattering His own people.
When God is angry, look out! Everything standing in opposition to Him will be scattered. The Scripture teaches that God is “slow to anger.” Psalm 103:8, 9 says: “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger forever.”
However, the “year of the Lord” teaches us not to push the envelope too far. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
I believe God wants us as fathers and mothers to raise our children to be arrows that will scatter evil.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was an arrow to scatter evil. We read in Matthew 21:12: “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold land bought in the temple, and overthrew the tales of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves . . .”
We continue the story in John 2:15-17: “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hat eaten me up.”
God looks for zealous arrows who will go into God’s temple, which is now within God’s people, and scatter all the things that are not of God and cleanse the house of God again.
Our president says, “Drain the swamp.” God looks for arrows who will scatter the evils of abortion, family planning, contraception, sterilization, and abortion. He looks for arrows who will rise to scatter all types of immorality, moral corruption, and propaganda that is taught in our colleges and learning institutions.
Jesus said His Father’s temple was to be a “house of prayer.” Both our individual temples (our bodies) as well as the corporate body should be used for prayer. It is from prayer times (individual prayer, daily family prayer times, and corporate prayer meetings) that arrows are sent forth to scatter the evil in this world.
Paul and Barnabas were sent forth from a prayer meeting (Acts 13:1-3). If we had more prayer meetings, maybe we would send forth more arrows!
Do you pray with your children each day? Do you have a prayer meeting in your home? Are your children part of prayer meetings? We shouldn’t send children to bed when there is a prayer meeting in action. Let them be part of it, even if they eventually go to sleep. We have a weekly prayer meeting in our home which is filled with more young people and children than adults! And they all pray. Even the six-year-olds.
The best way to shoot out arrows to scatter evil is to shoot them from prayer meetings. Are you shooting forth your children from prayer meetings?
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell