Not by sight but by faith – 30 Sept 2008

But now bring me a harpist. While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha and said, “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 3:15–18 [NIV]

Joram the king of the Israel, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah and the king of Edom were confident they were going to win the battle with their chariots, horses and their alliance. But after seven days of marching through the desert they realised there was no water for them to drink.

To the unbeliever Joram – the Lord had called all three kings together only to hand them over to Moab. But to the man of God Jehoshaphat, this was the time to look up and enquire from the Lord. And when they did, Elisha gave them a word “make this valley full of ditches…”

The word also said that they were not going to see any wind or rain. Does this ring a bell to us Christians? We always want to see a sign first and yet our God is not limited by the ways of this world.

Today you must raise your faith, for God is moving on your behalf in a way you least expected, and he will also do much more than you ask for (Eph 3 v 20). It is written that the kings went to Elisha because they were thirsty, but the Lord promised them much more – to quench their thirst and grant victory over their enemy.  And true to His word the following morning water flowed into the valley and filled the ditches.

I still can’t figure out where this water came from in a desert. But what I know is that there was provision and no noise and this is what God promises when his children take him at his word and believe without seeing. 

Today you must start “digging your ditches” for the valley and desert that meant to harm you is about to become your place of provision. I personally know of a man in my motherland who desperately wanted to set up a business eight years ago and everything around him was a mess: He was facing a five year legal battle with the Government who refused him a license to operate and as a result he was in debt. But on the day all newspaper headlines announced his downfall, he (full of the Holy Spirit) publicly announced that “the doors opened by the Lord, no one can shut!” Furthermore he and his close friends did something prophetic. They drove around town looking for a perfect location for their business. Today, the man owns a successful international business listed on the London, Johannesburg and other stock exchanges. 

If you are poorly and bed ridden, ask those around to start ironing your special dress – for you will be going to church in the next few Sundays! If in need start speaking things that are not as though they were! For when the Moabites saw the reflection of the sun in the flowing water, they reasoned that the kings had killed one another and they ran to collect the plunder.

Least did they know that God was handing them over to the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom and that day, nothing proved too difficult for the Lord!