"PREPARING FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS" (Pastor Tom Henry) ~ 2/3/26

“And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.” (II Kings 3:16, 17)

King Jehoram of Israel had solicited the help of Judah’s good king, Jehoshaphat, in going to battle against the Moabites. Since the route they chose was through the wilderness Edom, the Edomites also joined forces with Israel and Judah. They had sufficient food, but the seven days journey through the wilderness exhausted their water supply. “…there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.” Jehoram saw the situation as hopeless: “Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hands of Moab!” (Vs. 10) But, the good king, Jehoshaphat, saw it differently: “Is there not here a prophet of the LORD that we may enquire of the LORD by him?” (Vs. 11) When things appear hopeless, we need folks to rise up, who know and believe in God.

The prophet, Elisha, strongly disapproved of Jehoram, the King of Israel. Although he was not as wicked as his father and mother, Ahab and Jezebel, he was, nonetheless, an idolater, and “cleaved to the sins of Jeroboam.” And though the prophet could not endorse this alliance, he nevertheless, because of his regard for the good king, Jehoshaphat of Judah, and for his sake, enquired of the Lord on behalf of the confederacy. Here we have an instance of a truth that bears repeating: that this wicked world is greatly indebted to people of God whom it despises. It was for sake of righteous Jehoshaphat that all were blessed, including these wicked idolaters with whom he was allied. How many judgments have been turned away by the prayers of the saints, and because of God’s love for the church? Would not God have spared even Sodom if just ten righteous souls could have been found? (Gen. 18:32) Oh, let us plead with God for our nation! And above all, let us plead for a spiritual awakening!!

When God’s people are pressed, as we here find Jehoshaphat and his troops, they see the vanity of the creature and learn experimentally where their help is to be found. But still, as we see in this example, the people were to make a believing preparation for the divine blessing. They were to dig trenches in which the water that was so desperately needed would be held. I’m reminded of the little girl who went to a special prayer meeting that had been called for the purpose of praying for God to send rain to end a long draught, and she took her umbrella. The church must, by her varied agencies, efforts and prayers, make herself ready to be blessed. We must make the pools, and the Lord will fill them. This we do in faith in expectation of the blessing. We pray and preach and witness the gospel in expectation of the living water. The Word of God is a dry brook until the Spirit of God comes and makes it live. The Seed sown must have water. The Word and the Spirit are both seen as the necessary water. Jesus said that the water that flows out of the belly of the believer is the Holy Spirit. (John 7:38, 39) Paul makes it clear that salvation comes “by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Tit. 3:5)

God responded to their prayer with an abundance of water. We are told that not only were the pools filled, but the whole valley, even the country was filled with water. This is that for which we pray, that God will pour water on him that is thirsty, (His people) and floods upon the dry ground all about us. (Isa. 44:3) Let us so pray, out of our necessity, that God might hear our cry, and answer with an outpouring of His Spirit that will revive the church and extend through us to the world about us.

It is interesting to note the twofold effect that this water had. It was life and victory to those for whom it was sent. But, because the enemy did not see it for what it was, it was a means of death and destruction to them. As the morning sun shone upon it, the water appeared red, and assuming that it was the blood of the slain opposition, and rushing to take the spoil, they were quickly destroyed. Thus, the Gospel is life to those who believe. But many misunderstand it, and imagine it is something it is not, and even wrest it to their own destruction. (II Pet. 3:16) Oh Lord, may it be the water of life to us.