‘digging Ditches In The Desert'

‘DIGGING DITCHES IN THE DESERT’

2 KINGS 3:4-24

Have you ever been involved in digging ditches? It is hard work, thus you usually have been many bosses.

This is a strange story but it is a story that has some truths and principles in it that is good for us to look at.

I-NOTICE THE PEOPLE INVOLVED: 1-8

At the time when this story took place, Mesha, the king of Moab was trying to outwit Jehoram, King of Israel. Israel, Judah, and Edom were upset because Mesha was not fulfilling his agreement to pay the King of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. When King Ahab died, whom the promise was made to, Mesha backed out on the deal. Thus they wanted to make war against them.

Thus we see a group of people about to be engaged in war because of a broken promise.

You and I might not have much talent, or might not be rich, or might be the least of all Christians. But one thing we can do is to keep our promises with the Lord and the people around about us.

Ronald Reagan, commenting on the Democratic presidential primary debate in New Hampshire: "There were so many candidates on the platform that there were not enough promises to go around."

One candidate was so happy about winning that he accidentally kept one of his campaign promises.

When we think about promises, we know for sure, we can trust God to keep His promises. I Kings 8:56

A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim.

 God’s presence— “I will never leave thee” (Heb. 13:5)

 God’s protection—”I am thy shield” (Gen. 15:1)

 God’s power—”I will strengthen thee” (Isa. 41:10)

 God’s provision—”I will help thee” (Isa. 41:10)

 God’s leading—”And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them” (John 10:4)

 God’s purposes— “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil” (Jer. 20:11)

 God’s rest—”Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)

 God’s cleansing— “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

 God’s goodness— “No good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly” (Psalm 84:11)

 God’s faithfulness—”The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake” (1 Sam. 12:22)

 God’s guidance—”The meek will He guide” (Psalm 25:9)

 God’s wise plan—”All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28)

II-NOTICE THE PROBLEM INVOLVED: 9-10

The army was arrayed in full armor. They had their swords in their hands and were ready for war. But as they started out, someone said, “Something is wrong, we don’t have any water.”

They had came to the valley to do battle, and from a military viewpoint they were prepared, but had no water.

This is a strange scene; yet it is a picture of many Churches who are well organized, has all the right programs yet does not have the Spirit of the Living God.

I read where a visitor was out in a large Church in the Midwest, which had baptized 2000 the year before. The man was disappointed in seeing no pipes for the organ, no chandeliers. The preacher said, we don’t’ depend on the beauty of a building but on the power of God, the Holy Spirit.

Bailey Smith tells of seeing an old Western movie in which there was a tragic scene about a man dying on the desert with a pouch full of solid gold pieces. Given a choice, that man would have traded the sack of gold for a drink of water.

I have a glove here in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, the glove can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. The Christian is a glove. It is the Holy Spirit in us, the hand, which does the work. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger in the glove is filled.

D. L. Moody said, “I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled.”