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The Last Arrow

Since leaving the youth ministry position I had held for 15 years, jumping into a still unknown future, I have been purposeful about some of the books I have picked up.

I realized that this season, where I would get to choose what to read and focus on, might not come again for some time. In the words of a pastor, it might be the sabbatical no church was going to give me.

So I chose a book on purpose. I chose a book on listening for God’s voice. And my latest read is about measuring success by making choices differently than the average person might.

The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus is that and more. The subtitle, Save Nothing For The Next Life, gives you a peek into the direction McManus would take his reader.



Using the short story of Elisha and King Jehoash in 2 Kings 13. If you’re not familiar, Jehoash is king of Israel and he is in trouble. Going to Elisha for help, the unique prophet asks the king to strike the ground with a quiver if arrows. The kings does so, striking the ground 3 times. Elisha is angered, saying only partial victory will come because he did not continue striking the ground.

There can be much that we learn from this story, just as with all scripture, but McManus uses this as a catalyst of encouragement for us.

There are choices we each make, based on fear or habit or any other weakness, which leave us living lives we either didn’t want or didn’t expect.

Change how you make choices and you change the outcome of your life. From knowing our purpose to choosing who we surrender under ourselves with, McManus tells story after story of people who discovered the fullness of what God wanted to offer them by choosing to chase after all that God has to offer.

I received The Last Arrow from my good friends at Waterbrook Multnomah. They ask that I tell people what I think.

What I think is that if more people, myself included, would take encouragement like this to heart, we would achieve more than we could possibly imagine. Personally, I have never before been at such a crossroads. But instead of fear, I have only hope and optimism for what God is preparing me for.

You can find out more about the book here;


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