Originally posted: 3/04/2020
He said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ 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 shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts. 18 This is but a slight thing in the sight of the Lord; He will also give the Moabites into your hand,’” (3:16-18).
Once again, we find the LORD intervening on behalf of the northern kingdom of Israel. Despite their wickedness and stiff-necked rebellion, still the LORD is moved to involve Himself in their time of need. I never cease to be amazed. Why He bothers at all.
But He does. His unrelenting grace in stooping down to Supernaturally Provide is too great to comprehend.
But once again the kingdom of Israel is on the brink of defeat, and once again the king of Israel seeks an alliance with King Jehoshaphat.
Scripture conveys the kind of relationship Jehoshaphat had with the LORD.
The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did, (2 Chronicles 17:3-4).
His relationship with God was by faith, as he followed the example of David in seeking the LORD and never turning aside to other gods. And this perhaps is the very reason why each of the three kings who reigned in Israel during the years of Jehoshaphat’s reign in Judah, sought an alliance with Judah’s king. Perhaps they trusted they might experience God’s grace by association.
And while His prophet, Elisha, has no problem letting his feelings be known, Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother,” (3:13); it seems as a word from the LORD comes, due to the presence of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.
Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you, (3:14).
And with a directive, reminiscent of that given to Noah: build an ark without the slightest inkling of what rain even was, He Prescribed the Preparation needed to experience His Supernatural Supply. They were called to move in faith, believing what He has said will truly come to pass; “Make this valley full of trenches,” without the first sign of “wind or rain.”
The LORD was emphatically clear. He would send His provision of water and the Moabites would be defeated. Yet, He was also forcefully direct in His command to the kings and He expected them to follow His Prescribed Preparation for His Supernatural Supply.
Consider His Prescribed Preparation for His Supernatural Supply
Prescribed: “stated authoritatively, in writing or otherwise, as a rule or a course of action to be followed or carried out.”
Preparation: “a proceeding, measure or provision by which one prepares for something.”
Supernatural: “of, relating to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; abnormal; of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God…”
Supply: “the act of supplying, furnishing, providing, satisfying, etc.”
- His Prescribed Preparation reminds us it is not up for debate.
- “Thus says the Lord…”
- His Prescribed Preparation demands that we submit by faith to ready ourselves for His Supernatural Supply.
- “Make this valley full of trenches,”
- His Supernatural Supply confirms His Supply is contingent upon nothing, and no one else, but Him.
- “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 shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts.'”
- His Supernatural Supply reveals nothing is too difficult for Him.
- “This is but a slight thing in the sight of the Lord; He will also give the Moabites into your hand.”
How do we respond to His Prescribed Preparation for His Supernatural Supply?
His Supernatural Supply. We can do nothing to earn it. But if we expect to see Him move supernaturally on our behalf, it must begin by following His Prescribed Preparation and placing our faith in His Supernatural Supply of grace, through the blood of Jesus to save us from our sins.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, (Ephesians 1:7).
We will never receive salvation by association, be it our godly heritage, our church affiliation, or our country of birth. Salvation is His gift given by His grace and must be received by faith.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (Ephesians 2:8).
It is as we dig the trenches and ready ourselves through faith, that He will send the Living Waters. It is only as we place all our faith and trust in Jesus that our thirsty souls will be filled and satisfied forever.
Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life,” (John 4:13-14).
And now, as His born-again children, we can still do nothing to earn His Supernatural Supply. He alone will cause His showers of blessings to come down in their season, in His appointed time.
“I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing,” (Ezekiel 34:26).
And if He is able to bring Eternal Life to that which is dead, isn’t ever other need “but a slight thing in the sight of the Lord?” Is there anything at all He cannot do? We are called to live this life by faith, and His Word promises He has given us everything we need.
seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3).
He has given us everything we need, and it is “through the true knowledge of Him” revealed in His Word that we come face to face with His Prescribed Preparation for His Supernatural Supply.
To know His Prescribed Preparation entails purposefully placing ourselves in the position to hear Him speak, through a devoted time in His Word each day.
…the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him… (2 Chronicles 15:2).
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord… (Jeremiah 29:13-14).
- When His Prescribed Preparation is declared in His Word, let us respond in humility and faith, that we would commit to wholeheartedly heed and trust Him, without debate.
- Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, (Proverbs 16:20). - “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—
An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!
Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’? (Isaiah 45:9). - On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? (Romans 9:2).
- Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
- Let us submit by faith to move and ready ourelves through obedience, that we might receive His Supernatural Supply.
- So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today. 25 It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us, (Deuteronomy 6:24-25).
- Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says, (James 1:22).
- Let us expect to experience His Supernatural Supply by faith.
- You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart, (Jeremiah 29:13).
- Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, (Hebrews 11:1).
- Oh, that we would remain steadfastly convinced that nothing is too difficult for Him.
- “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:37).
- And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” (Matthew 19:26).
His Prescribed Preparation is a call to make ourselves ready, to be empowered by Him to experience His Supernatural Supply.
Let us purposefully place ourselves in the position to intently listen and respond in obedience to His Prescribed Preparation in the pages of His Word.
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does, (James 1:25).
And let us trust Him to grow us in our desire and fixed determination to live in obedience, that every day we would adhere to His Prescribe Preparation and experience His Supernatural Supply.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14).