Something Different

"and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. 19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones."

20 The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water." 2 Kings 3:16-20

I read this passage in 2 Kings today, and the very first thing I thought was that it didn't rain! In context, there were three armies who had come together to join forces against the Moabites- and they attacked by crossing a desert for seven days. By this time, they had no water for themselves or their animals, and in essence, were dehydrating to death. But God spoke through Elisha, and told the people to dig ditches to hold water. They didn't even question this direction- at least, not that we see in the Bible here. They dug the ditches, and the next morning they were full of water. It hadn't rained, there hadn't been an earthquake, and they hadn't all the sudden struck underground springs. God provided for them in a miraculous way.

Isn't that cool!? God took care of his people without taking a normal route. I think God wants to do that for us all the time, we just don't ever let him. These people were in an impossible situation, yet God did the very impossible, and gave them all exactly what they needed- the fortitude and strength to conquer the Moabites.

I think about how we pray sometimes, and ask God for things. Why is it that we direct how God is to answer that prayer? We pray that someone would be healed of a disease, but we don't just pray for healing. Instead, we pray for wisdom for the doctors, we pray for strength as this person goes through treatment. Why? It seems to me that the same God who can provide water in a desert without rain can provide a complete healing in the body without a doctor. I'm not saying that doctors aren't involved in healing- please know that. I believe God gave doctors the gifts to heal and treat and cure, and a cancer healed with the aid of physicians is still cancer healed. But the possibility... the possibility to not have to go through a treatment, to just simply have an ailment disappear in a miraculous fashion... that's what God would love to do. He wants us to have the faith to ask him for the impossible, and he will make it possible.

So how did that water get there? The Bible doesn't go into details, so it's up to us to use our imaginations. I personally serve a God who can speak and cause water to just be there. Yet there's more here about this water. Not only did he fill the valley with water for the people and animals to drink from, but to the Moabites, he made the water look like it was red from blood.

"Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. "That's blood!" they said. "Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!" 2 Kings 3:20-23

This served a few purposes, don't you think? First of all, the red water made the Moabites think that the armies had fought each other and were ripe for the plucking. But secondly, they most likely did not drink of that water. They didn't receive the strength that comes from a full drink of water, and thus were the weaker army in that battle. God helped His people to victory, just as he provided for their needs.

God can do the impossible, we just need to let him! I think he wants to do the impossible each and every day- maybe it's time to give him the opportunity.