Digging Ditches
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· 1,518 viewsYou may already know how to dream big. Perhaps you're even ready to burn your plows and leave your old life behind. But truly living a greater life, you still may not fully know how to start small. The story of Elisha commanding the king of Israel to dig ditches in the Desert of Edom illustrates the importance of our preparation for God's blessing in our lives.
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[1] Title
Pray
Last week: Burn The Plows
You may already know how to dream big. Perhaps you're even ready to burn your plows and leave your old life behind.
Greater: The life-altering understanding that God is ready to accomplish a greatness in your life that is entirely out of human reach-beyond anything you see in yourself on your best day, but exactly what God has seen in you all along
Are you willing to believe God is big enough to call you to something greater, even if that something is no where on your radar or wish list?
God initiates the biggest changes in our lives through small starts. In other words, a big dream without a small start is just a day dream.
In scripture, faith isn’t just about believing and certainly not about mere thinking. Faith is about action. In fact, faith is action.
That’s why James so pointedly said, “Faith without works is dead.”
Faith isn’t a state of mind - it’s a course of action. Faith is work.
Living the greater life with God means getting your hands dirty.
No one demonstrates this kind of blue-collar, get your hands dirty approach to believing God for greater things than Elisha.
Starting small means preparing for God’s blessing in your life.
Becoming greater means starting small in preparation for God’s blessing in your life.
The story of Elisha commanding the king of Israel to dig ditches in the Desert of Edom illustrates the importance of our preparation for God's blessing in our lives.
[2-13]
The king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom started out on what proved to be a looping detour. After seven days they had run out of water for both army and animals.
The king of Israel said, “Bad news! God has gotten us three kings out here to dump us into the hand of Moab.”
But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of God anywhere around through whom we can consult God?” One of the servants of the king of Israel said, “Elisha son of Shaphat is around somewhere—the one who was Elijah’s right-hand man.”
Jehoshaphat said, “Good! A man we can trust!” So the three of them—the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom—went to meet him.
Elisha addressed the king of Israel, “What do you and I have in common? Go consult the puppet-prophets of your father and mother.” “Never!” said the king of Israel. “It’s God who has gotten us into this fix, dumping all three of us kings into the hand of Moab.”
Elisha said, “As God-of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I stand ready to serve, if it weren’t for the respect I have for Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I wouldn’t give you the time of day.
But considering—bring me a minstrel.” (When a minstrel played, the power of God came on Elisha.)
He then said, “God’s word: Dig ditches all over this valley.
Here’s what will happen—you won’t hear the wind, you won’t see the rain, but this valley is going to fill up with water and your army and your animals will drink their fill.
This is easy for God to do; he will also hand over Moab to you.
You will ravage the country: Knock out its fortifications, level the key villages, clear-cut the orchards, clog the springs, and litter the cultivated fields with stones.”
In the morning—it was at the hour of morning sacrifice—the water had arrived, water pouring in from the west, from Edom, a flash flood filling the valley with water.
[14] Title
Digging Ditches in Preparation for God’s Blessing
A great need can be a good thing if it leads you to a deeper dependency on God.
A great need can be a good thing if it leads you to a deeper dependency on God.
What happens when you find yourself stuck in the pursuit of your greater life?
There comes a time in your life where everything you thought you could do doesn’t happen.
The problem lies not in not knowing how to dream big, but in not knowing how to start small.
God doesn’t want me to use him to meet my needs. He wants to use my needs to bring me to him.
When the king of Israel came to Elisha, his needs were prompting him to look for a solution. But Elisha pointed him towards God, who would ultimately be their only solution.
God is not your shortcut. God is your only solution.
God is not your shortcut. God is your only solution.
If you’re using God just to get the greater things he can bring that’s not faith, it’s idolatry.
Great things are often what drive us to God.
But there are certain things that we must do to play our part in seeing God’s miracles in our lives.
Inspiration vs Implementation
Many of us try to use God for sheer motivation or inspiration, but rarely progress to the point of actually putting into practice what God calls us to do.
Miracles are not magic tricks. Faith is not a lottery ticket. Faith is a work order.
Miracles are not magic tricks. Faith is not a lottery ticket. Faith is a work order.
Transformation happens through participation in the purpose of God
The king came to Elisha looking for a miracle. But Elisha gave them a set of instructions.
Everyone wants a calling until it calls.
Are you willing to play your part in the greater calling God has for your life?
Dig a ditch
Dig a ditch
Do you have enough faith in God to dig a ditch even if you can’t see any rain or hear any wind?
Faith is making preparation for something that you can’t perceive.
We can only assume that everyone in the valley dug all night long, likely not even finishing their irrigation system. But the next morning, water flowed.
No matter how much faith it takes on our part, it will be an easy thin gin the eyes of the Lord.
If you dig the ditches, God will bring the rain.
What ditches is God calling you to dig?
Are you available? Are you willing to dig?
He’s not waiting for you to be able. He’s waiting for you to have the faith to get started.
You don’t control the miracle.
Doing the prep work:
Gardening: Plant, water, God does the growing
Dating: Become the right person
School: Study and learn
Business: Behind the scenes is not glamorous
Church: Study, pray, preach when invited
Do the work. God sends the rain/blessing.