2 Kings 13:19

Five or six times. Total victory would require much more effort than would the recovery of a district across the Jordan. It would mean an attack on Syria itself, till the nation had been consumed and would no longer be in a position to rise again as a menace to Israel and its neighbors. The lesson for Joash is a lesson for all. Results in the work of the Lord are in direct proportion to the effort put forth. The Lord calls for earnest, persevering, continuous effort. The work lags because laborers in the vineyard of the Lord grow tired too soon. If every worker put all he had into the task of saving souls, results would be tenfold greater than they are today. God can achieve victories of grace through His servants only as they give themselves in complete consecration to Him and work with unflagging energy and zeal.