"And he said, “This is what the Lord says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water! You will see neither wind nor rain, says the Lord, but this valley will be filled with water. You will have plenty for yourselves and your cattle and other animals." 2 Kings 3:16-17
I was recently at my niece and nephew’s house when I saw that they had made an enormous mess playing with their toys. I told them, “Wow, we have a big mess on our hands today!” My nephew replied, “You can clean it up.” As you can imagine, I quickly informed him that I could help, but he and his sister needed to help, too. He needed to learn that we all have a part to play when walking through our own “messes” or difficult situations. Yes, we turn to God immediately and ask Him for help. Then, we use our gifts and talents and fight to work through our situations.
When three kings, the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, found themselves in a desperate situation, they first turned to God. We saw this in our Bible study earlier this week. They ran out of water while on their way to confront the King of Moab for his behavior toward the King of Israel. They were left thirsty, weary, and fearful of an attack from the King of Moab. In their desperation, they sent for Elisha, the prophet, who would tell them what God would have them do. Elisha told them that the dry valley where they were would soon be full of water (verse 17). They, their armies, and their animals would have as much as they needed to drink. God was providing this. Elisha then explained that God would help them conquer the Moabites. They would not automatically conquer the Moabites, however. They would have to do the work. They would have to fight the Moabites, chase them, and destroy their land. It would not be easy, and they would need to work hard, but God would bless and reward their work with success.
This story from 2 Kings 3 is a brilliant reminder that while we trust God in our desperate situations, we also work hard. Here at Sagebrush, we say, “Pray like it depends on God, work like it depends on us.” Are you desperate for a relationship in your life to be strengthened? Pray, pray, and pray even more. Then, love that person the way you would like for them to love you. Are you desperate for a job change? Pray. Then work hard and do your job with excellence. As we pray and turn to God, we also work hard, using God’s gifts to fight through our difficult situations.
What is the desperate situation that you are in right now? Take some time to think about the gifts and talents that God has given you to help you, through His power, walk through that situation. Then, after listing these gifts, plan how you will use these gifts this week to work through some of the challenges you are facing.
2 Kings 3:16-20 (NLT)
"and he said, “This is what the Lord says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water! 17 You will see neither wind nor rain, says the Lord, but this valley will be filled with water. You will have plenty for yourselves and your cattle and other animals. 18 But this is only a simple thing for the Lord, for he will make you victorious over the army of Moab! 19 You will conquer the best of their towns, even the fortified ones. You will cut down all their good trees, stop up all their springs, and ruin all their good land with stones.”
20 The next day at about the time when the morning sacrifice was offered, water suddenly appeared! It was flowing from the direction of Edom, and soon there was water everywhere."
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