2 Kings 3:6-20

Go ahead and take the time to read these amazing verses. This is such a cool story! The three kings from Israel, Judah, and Edom planned to go destroy Moab, but were so bad at planning that they ran out of water in a week. Just like most of us did at some point in our lives, they ran straight to God when they had no place else to turn. They went to the prophet Elisha. He didn’t really want to help them, but knew he was supposed to.

I love how Elisha inquired of the Lord. I think this is such a key for many of us. He asked for a harpist. This was the equivalent of putting on some Praise and Worship music today. He set his mind on the Lord. God spoke to him and gave him the solution. He told the kings to have their men dig ditches in the desert! Now that sounded like the dumbest solution ever, but that’s what they were to do. They did, they won, and God got all the credit.

So many people are just stuck in life. They’ve wandered away from God and are just dry. When you are dry, meaning, you don’t feel God’s presence, “stuff” becomes more important in your life than anything else. Dry people are focused on themselves, their boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, their job, their television sets, their video games, or other hobbies. They’re basically “bored” all the time and will verbalize this. God doesn’t even make the top 10 list of their lives, which is not good considering the only place He accepts is first place.

So, what do you do? This story tells you the answer. You have to dig some ditches. Elisha told them that if they would dig the ditches, God would fill them with water and everything would be fine. He goes on to say, and don’t forget this; this is EASY for God! If you are in a desert, meaning, you don’t think about God on a daily basis, much less feel His presence, you’ve got to start digging some ditches. You are to carve out some time daily to focus on God. It may be in the morning when you first get up that you “ditch” 10 or 15 minutes of extra sleep and give that time to God and His Word. It may be in your car that you “ditch” the radio and talk to Him on your way to work. You might need to “ditch” the secular stations and listen to Christian radio for a while. You may need to “ditch” the TV and read your Bible for a bit. You may need to “ditch” that boyfriend that is pressuring you to do things that you know go against His Word. You may need to “ditch” those friends that when you get around them, you use language you don’t use around anyone else. The point is, “ditch” those things that are keeping you from Him!

You may be thinking, “Why in the world would I want to do that?” Well, because if you will dig the ditches, then He will fill them with water. He will fill them with His Holy Spirit and His presence. When He sees you faithfully carving out time for Him (digging ditches), He can’t help but show up! The key is for you to expect Him to fill those ditches with His presence. Don’t treat it like a checklist that is making Him happy and giving you more “credit” that other people. Expect Him to show up for you! Elisha didn’t hope God would show up, he knew that if he put on that praise and worship and focused on God, He would be there. Why? Because he had been carving out time for God his entire life! He decided long ago that he would never stop digging ditches.

To that army, digging ditches seemed like the dumbest idea ever. Not to mention, it was a lot of work. Plus, can you imagine somebody walking by and seeing ditches being dug in the desert? They would have made fun of them like crazy! However, it was God’s way.

I know you want God’s Presence to be real in your life. If you really want Him, you have to do some things that most people will look at you and say, “You are an idiot that is wasting your time.” You have to carve out some time for Him and expect Him to eventually fill that time with His presence. Don’t give up, don’t give in, don’t listen to the people that will discourage you and maybe even make fun of you . . . just keep digging! He will fill those ditches up with His Holy Spirit!

This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord! (2 Kings 3:18)

Later

Adam