Have you ever played the if only game? If only God would answer this one prayer. I don’t know what your “if only” would be. But throughout life, we all recognize that we have these needs, and we tend to think “if only” I had whatever it is, life would be so much better.
2 Kings 3:9-12 is a story of 3 kings who decide to team up on another king. It should have been a piece of cake for them but they found themselves dying of thirst, then and their animals. They cried out isn’t there someone named Elisha who the Lord is with that can get a Word from God and send us water!
They found Elisha and after giving them a hard time like his mentor did the prophets of Baal, He heard from the Lord. Everyone’s excited but then Gods word through Elisha told already dying of thirst armies to dig ditches all over the valley, that was the Word. Ditches??
I want to try to apply this directly to our lives. We’re talking about faith that works. I’m talking about faith that is effective. In other words, faith that moves the heart of God and it invokes a response from the hand of God. At the same time, I’m not just talking about faith that is effective but I’m also talking about faith that is active. Faith that works; faith does something. Faith that so believes that God is going to act that we act and take a step toward God, believing that God is going to take a step towards us.
Gods the only one who can send the water, the miracle, and He will. But sometimes like this story, He wants us to dig a ditch. He wants us to act in faith. He wants us to draw close to Him and He’ll draw close to us. And real faith believes big but starts small. To dig a ditch you gotta start with one shovel full. Especially in Elisha’s day. Zech. 4:10 Says don’t despise the day of small beginnings because the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. He rejoices when you grab your shovel and start digging believing that the rain is
Some of you, right now, you’ve got a significant need in your life, and you think, “If only, If only God would meet that. If only God would answer that prayer.” Don’t ever forget that your biggest need can become your biggest blessing when it drives you to depend on God because only God can send the water but sometimes he wants you to dig a ditch. Real faith believes big but is willing to start small. I pray for a church full of people who will think big but start small, believing by faith, long before there’s a cloud in the sky or any sign of water, that if I’ll dig the ditch, God is faithful enough to send the water.
What are you believing God for? Maybe it’s time to put feet to our faith like never before and when we do, just like our story, the next morning they woke up and it was all full of water. God is sending the water, join with me in preparing for the outpouring!