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Last Saturday, in The Moabite Insurrection, Part 1, we saw that if we expect God to guide us, we need to be serving Him! Not nominally, but wholeheartedly!
To recap our story today, as found in 2 Kings 3, the Moabites rebelled against Jehoram, son of Ahab, king of Israel. Jehoram assembled an army comprised of three kingdoms: The Israelites, the Edomites, and Judah, along with their king, Jehoshaphat. They marched for seven days, but unfortunately they did not find any water for the army or the animals with them. Jehoram got thirsty, and as his thirst increased, so did his discouragement: "But there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them. Then the king of Israel said, 'It is hopeless! For the Lord has called these three kings to hand them over to Moab!'” (2 Kings 3:9b-10 NASB). Jehoshaphat called out for a prophet of the living God, and Elisha was brought forward.
Let's notice that Jehoram's discouragement is linked to the lack of water, and it is understood that Elisha was called forward to ask the Lord to send water. Elisha asked for a musician to play the harp, and then the Lord spoke to him a very encouraging message for the king of Israel: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ For the Lord says this: ‘You will not see wind, nor will you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you will drink, you, your livestock, and your other animals." (2 Kings 3:16-17 NASB)
This must have been very good news for Jehoram. I can imagine that he immediately sent the men out make that valley "full of trenches"! He asked, he sought, he received. End of story.
Or is it?
Actually Elisha ended this message with a bit of a rebuke! "And this is an insignificant thing in the sight of the Lord..." (2 Kings 3:18a NASB)...In other words, 'What? Here you are, about to attack a sworn enemy who really doesn't want to pay your tributes anymore, and all you ask for is ... water? What about the bigger picture? If you can trust God for something insignificant in the sight of the Lord, what about something that is actually ... significant?'
Jehoram was limiting God!
Do we also limit God?
So often we pray for the small things, while the bigger need doesn't get mentioned at all. It may be that we don't see God as big enough to take care of the real problems. Or maybe we think He's too busy for such things. Or perhaps we haven't received a promise from Him about the big problems!
An example of this from my life last year: My husband was diagnosed with dementia 6 years ago, and God promised to heal him. Why then did most of my prayers in the spring and summer of that year center around getting him into long-term care? Sure, I needed him to go into care. In fact, because I could no longer manage his care, I needed it as much as Jehoram needed water! And God came through for me. But I can almost hear His rebuke: "and this is an insignificant thing in the sight of the Lord..."! Shouldn't I have been just as serious about asking for the healing that He had already promised?
Fortunately for us humans, God understands our humanity. We see this in the story of Jehoram asking for water when what he really needed was victory. Elisha's message goes on beyond the water: "[God] will also give the Moabites into your hand. Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and cut down every good tree and stop up all the springs of water, and spoil every good plot of land with stones." (2 Kings 3:18b-19 NASB).
Yes, God did give Jehoshaphat and Jehoram a rebuke; but God also took that mustard-seed grain of faith and multiplied it to give them so much more! That's the loving God we serve. His desire is for us to grow our faith to the point that we aren't afraid to ask for even the big things. That's why when He answers our prayers, He so often giving us so much more! Naturally there will also be a little rebuke. Otherwise we, as humans, might just go about thinking that the bigger gifts are our "due", what God somehow "owes" us!
This story also teaches us lessons in priority. With a battle in the near future, Jehoram is only thinking about his own comfort. Meanwhile, God is thinking about the future of His special people. He wants to show their erring king that there is only one Living God!
Back to my personal story, by centering most of my prayers around the need for long-term care, I was seeking relief from a serious, but personal, problem. Meanwhile, God is thinking of my husband's needs. He wants him to not just be cared for so that it relieves my stress. He wants my husband to be—healed!
What problems are you facing? Remember to ask God not only for things that are about your personal comfort, not only for the small things, but also for the big things, the things that will bring ultimately even greater glory to His name!
There is one more important lesson to be learned from this story. Please join us next Saturday for The Moabite Insurrection, Part 3!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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