“…This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches.For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain,
yet this valley will be filled with water,
and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.
This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD;
he will also hand Moab over to you.”
2 Kings 3:16-18 NIV
“The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice,
there it was – water flowing from the direction of Edom!
And the land was filled with water.”
2 Kings 3: 20 NIV
Often in the summer rain is scarce. Many times the water supply of a nearby lake or reservoir drops to dangerously low levels and we are asked by our community to ration water usage because we fear our supply will dry up.
On very dry days when I look about the garden I see leaves that are dry and curling, others that have turned brown and died. Drooping heads, wilted flowers, and dry, cracked soil beg for water. On this anxious day this also seems to be the condition of my parched heart. Suddenly, I look up and the Master Gardener is standing before me. Jesus simply similes and asks, “Today, do we need a lesson on faith?”
In my mind I think, “How does he do this? He always knows the condition of my spirit. Then I remember, “Oh yes, that’s what my God does! He never leaves me or forsakes me. He is the other half in this loving relationship. He is NOT out to lunch!”
I scoot over on the bench, Jesus sets beside me and I begin to speak what is on my mind. Jesus, I am tired and weary, I pray and pray and pray and nothing changes. I ask and I don’t receive. I can’t see in front of my nose and I am afraid of what lies around the corner. Satan is clouding my thoughts with his devious lies! I seem to be completely void of faith. My heart doubts that I will ever see answers to many of my prayers. I fear I have asked you for the impossible.
Jesus reminds me of a story in 2 Kings Chapter 3, when the Lord gave his prophet Elisha some very sovereign advice! You see, they were in the desert, marching into battle and there was no water. The Lord gave Elisha an assignment, “Make this valley full of ditches.” Then the Lord further instructed Elisha, “You will see NO wind or rain, YET this valley WILL BE FILLED with water and you will drink.”
The Master Gardener’s message to me today was that even in the dry valley of my life where my need is great, I am to simply step out in faith and do the work of digging ditches of faith all around me. He says, “Dig ditches of faith and then trust that I, the Almighty God will show up. Paula, you see, what seems impossible and unlikely to you is ‘…an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD…’ You will drink! Not only will you drink, your cattle and your animals will drink as well.”
My past experience tells me that God does provide the answer, the drink, at the exact moment that I need it the most and not a single moment before! God’s provision may come immediately, or the next morning, or it may be years away, but the truth is that IF GOD has instructed me to dig the ditches by praying the prayer of faith, and if I am obedient to his instruction, I will drink! “The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was – water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.” 2 Kings 3: 20 NIV The fact is, what was impossible for the people was an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.
As I digested this day’s faith lesson from the Master Gardener, I remember looking up into his reassuring eyes and feeling his peace. The flowers and foliage in my parched heart’s garden began to drink in “all that was an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.” There was no wind or rain in sight but the dried out land became wet with water that comes from the faithful One. Ditches around the edge of my heart’s garden began to fill and overflow with God’s heavenly water and my faith became the evidence of the things hoped for! “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 NIV
The Israelites were going into battle and the Lord also promised that in addition to the promised water he would also give them victory over Moab. 2 Kings 3:18b NIV Victory over the enemy! Of course, to date, Satan is my greatest enemy, yet God has promised to give me victory over the enemy when I go into “faith” battle! Today I choose to go into battle and I will begin by calling on Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, I cast out of my mind the damaging lies of Satan. As a result of this action, I will refuse to believe Satan’s lie that says I am stupid for believing that God will actually send water to my ditches. I will refuse to believe that God doesn’t care about what I need. I will NOT listen to the lie of Satan that whispers that if God really loved me I would not be in this situation in the first place. I will NOT believe that God cannot be trusted. I will NOT believe that my prayers go unanswered because I am not good enough or because I do not have enough faith.
I will believe that my Sovereign God is able to do all things and that all things are easy in his eyes. I will believe that my all knowing God is a God full of mercy and grace, love and forgiveness. I will believe that because I have dug ditches, God will send water! I will believe that God values even the shallowest of ditches, and my God will fill all my ditches of faith with his water on the very morning I need it most. As long as I live I will choose to dig faith ditches so that God can fill them with the impossible!
On very dry days when I look about the garden I see leaves that are dry and curling, others that have turned brown and died. Drooping heads, wilted flowers, and dry, cracked soil beg for water. On this anxious day this also seems to be the condition of my parched heart. Suddenly, I look up and the Master Gardener is standing before me. Jesus simply similes and asks, “Today, do we need a lesson on faith?”
In my mind I think, “How does he do this? He always knows the condition of my spirit. Then I remember, “Oh yes, that’s what my God does! He never leaves me or forsakes me. He is the other half in this loving relationship. He is NOT out to lunch!”
I scoot over on the bench, Jesus sets beside me and I begin to speak what is on my mind. Jesus, I am tired and weary, I pray and pray and pray and nothing changes. I ask and I don’t receive. I can’t see in front of my nose and I am afraid of what lies around the corner. Satan is clouding my thoughts with his devious lies! I seem to be completely void of faith. My heart doubts that I will ever see answers to many of my prayers. I fear I have asked you for the impossible.
Jesus reminds me of a story in 2 Kings Chapter 3, when the Lord gave his prophet Elisha some very sovereign advice! You see, they were in the desert, marching into battle and there was no water. The Lord gave Elisha an assignment, “Make this valley full of ditches.” Then the Lord further instructed Elisha, “You will see NO wind or rain, YET this valley WILL BE FILLED with water and you will drink.”
The Master Gardener’s message to me today was that even in the dry valley of my life where my need is great, I am to simply step out in faith and do the work of digging ditches of faith all around me. He says, “Dig ditches of faith and then trust that I, the Almighty God will show up. Paula, you see, what seems impossible and unlikely to you is ‘…an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD…’ You will drink! Not only will you drink, your cattle and your animals will drink as well.”
My past experience tells me that God does provide the answer, the drink, at the exact moment that I need it the most and not a single moment before! God’s provision may come immediately, or the next morning, or it may be years away, but the truth is that IF GOD has instructed me to dig the ditches by praying the prayer of faith, and if I am obedient to his instruction, I will drink! “The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was – water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.” 2 Kings 3: 20 NIV The fact is, what was impossible for the people was an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.
As I digested this day’s faith lesson from the Master Gardener, I remember looking up into his reassuring eyes and feeling his peace. The flowers and foliage in my parched heart’s garden began to drink in “all that was an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.” There was no wind or rain in sight but the dried out land became wet with water that comes from the faithful One. Ditches around the edge of my heart’s garden began to fill and overflow with God’s heavenly water and my faith became the evidence of the things hoped for! “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 NIV
The Israelites were going into battle and the Lord also promised that in addition to the promised water he would also give them victory over Moab. 2 Kings 3:18b NIV Victory over the enemy! Of course, to date, Satan is my greatest enemy, yet God has promised to give me victory over the enemy when I go into “faith” battle! Today I choose to go into battle and I will begin by calling on Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, I cast out of my mind the damaging lies of Satan. As a result of this action, I will refuse to believe Satan’s lie that says I am stupid for believing that God will actually send water to my ditches. I will refuse to believe that God doesn’t care about what I need. I will NOT listen to the lie of Satan that whispers that if God really loved me I would not be in this situation in the first place. I will NOT believe that God cannot be trusted. I will NOT believe that my prayers go unanswered because I am not good enough or because I do not have enough faith.
I will believe that my Sovereign God is able to do all things and that all things are easy in his eyes. I will believe that my all knowing God is a God full of mercy and grace, love and forgiveness. I will believe that because I have dug ditches, God will send water! I will believe that God values even the shallowest of ditches, and my God will fill all my ditches of faith with his water on the very morning I need it most. As long as I live I will choose to dig faith ditches so that God can fill them with the impossible!
Questions:
Are you afraid to ask God for something because you fear it is impossible?
Do you have an unanswered prayer that you fear will never be answered?
Can you remember a time in your life when God filled your faith ditches with his more than ample water supply?
Do you believe that God provision is nothing short of amazing?
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
I pray that I will be obedient to your command to dig ditches of faith. Lord I pray that I will not be found guilty of refusing to dig ditches because I think that the desire of my heart is an impossible situation. Lord, it is my desire to dig my ditches of faith deep, yet sometimes I am only able to dig shallow ditches of faith. I am so thankful that you did not tell Elisha how deep to dig the ditches, but rather to simply dig the ditches. Help me Lord, that as I mature in my faith, I will be able to dig deeper ditches. Lord, I pray that I will remember that what I think may be impossible, for you it is an easy thing! I will drink of your compassion and mercy. I will drink of your love and faithfulness. I will drink of your provision and I will rejoice in answers to my prayer. Father, forgive me when I grow impatient waiting for answers to my prayers. Forgive me Lord when I expect “rain” to fill my ditches instead of “flowing water”. I must simply dig the ditches of faith and wait for your “water” to fill my ditches no matter how you send the water. Lord, help me to remember that my ways are not always your ways. Heavenly Father, fill my ditches with what I need even if it isn’t what I want. So today Lord, I ask if you are willing, I already know you are able, and then I wait.
In your name I pray. Amen.
Dear Lord,
I pray that I will be obedient to your command to dig ditches of faith. Lord I pray that I will not be found guilty of refusing to dig ditches because I think that the desire of my heart is an impossible situation. Lord, it is my desire to dig my ditches of faith deep, yet sometimes I am only able to dig shallow ditches of faith. I am so thankful that you did not tell Elisha how deep to dig the ditches, but rather to simply dig the ditches. Help me Lord, that as I mature in my faith, I will be able to dig deeper ditches. Lord, I pray that I will remember that what I think may be impossible, for you it is an easy thing! I will drink of your compassion and mercy. I will drink of your love and faithfulness. I will drink of your provision and I will rejoice in answers to my prayer. Father, forgive me when I grow impatient waiting for answers to my prayers. Forgive me Lord when I expect “rain” to fill my ditches instead of “flowing water”. I must simply dig the ditches of faith and wait for your “water” to fill my ditches no matter how you send the water. Lord, help me to remember that my ways are not always your ways. Heavenly Father, fill my ditches with what I need even if it isn’t what I want. So today Lord, I ask if you are willing, I already know you are able, and then I wait.
In your name I pray. Amen.
