Valley=Water

2 Kings 3:17 For thus says the LORD:’You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ 18. And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.

For the valley to be filled with water, first they had to make that valley full of ditches. Verse 16 says “Thus says the LORD:’Make this valley full of ditches. “

King Jehoram of Israel took King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the King of Edom in a war against the King of Moab. They went by the way of the Wilderness of Edom. They marched on that route for seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. Prophet Elisha was consulted to ask of the LORD for a solution. Elisha asked to bring a musician. As the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him. Referring back to the verses 17 and 18, after seven days of wandering without water, as they came to a point of seeking God versus dying in thirst, God gives the solution and even guarantees them victory in war which they did not ask because at that point living itself was at stake. Next morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water. Just as the LORD said, it was as simple as that.

The Moabites rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water as red as blood. Moabites thought the blood was because the Israelite armies killed each other and hurried to gather Israelites’ plunder. When the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them.

Ditches had to be dug before God could provide water. If there were no ditches, there would be no room to hold the water. If we look at the Old Testament great people, most of them were the outcome of tremendous shortcoming or lack undergone by someone. Samuel was born because of the emptiness experienced by Hannah. Isaac became a reward for Abraham after a really long wait. Jacob became Israel in his broken lonely desperate fearful moment. The greatest prophet of New Testament, John the Baptist, was born at the old age of Zechariah and Elizabeth who lived a righteous life before the LORD. When we undergo tremendous shortcoming in any area of our life, we are worried and we fret. We think low and inadequate of ourselves. We undergo shortcoming not always because God is disciplining us. If it is because of God’s disciplining, once we learn the lesson, He is our good father who rewards us. Even after righteous living, if we still undergo tremendous lack or shortcoming, that is for God to bring about some amazing blessing out of that. The above characters of the Bible are examples for that.

We just continue to do our part in serving God in all righteousness and God will definitely do His part in His time according to His will and plan. We might not always see the signs of it. Neither wind nor rain brought the water. Israelites did their part by giving the grain offering and the water gushed into those valleys which quenched the thirst of the three armies and their animals and also caused confusion on their enemies and with no war done, the enemies were defeated. The same water that quenched the thirst of God’s children destroyed His enemies by causing confusion among themselves. It all depends on “Are we on God’s side or His enemies side? Do we want to be taken care by God or destroyed by God? Choice is ours. There are only two sides- God’s side or the opposite side. There is no neutral ground”. Abundance is preceded by lack in order for us to see God’s hands in it. So let us not despise the lack. Let us praise God in advance for the abundant blessing that follows the lack. Amen!