It’s time to dig Ditches
2 Kings 3:1-3:20
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he persisted in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them. Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he regularly paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. But it happened, when Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. Then he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he said, “I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he answered, “By way of the Wilderness of Edom.” So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
Three Kings not to mention all their armies, and animals found themselves in a desperate situation (they had went seven days in the wilderness and they had no water).
This is a dilemma: water is a necessity of life, it’s not an extra or luxury it’s necessary to sustain life.
Without it you die.
*The King of Israel starts blaming God for their dilemma (it was his fault not Gods).
This King was a bad influence:
Sometimes the biggest problem we have is our friendship circle (wrong associations).
You need to refine your friendship circle and eliminate all the whiners and complainers (sift out all the doubters and pouters).
Have a deliverance service and deliver yourself from people with no vision and no passion who spend all their time wallowing in self-pity.
*Wrong associations will kill you, they will kill your joy, kill your vision, kill your passion, and kill your faith.
*If it hadn’t been for King Jehoshaphat who knew the power of a word from God they would have all died in the wilderness.
(He asked is there not a prophet here that we may inquire of the Lord).
1) Jehoshaphat knew: one word from God can change everything.
There was an old cigarette commercial when I was growing up that said: I’d walk a mile for a Camel.
You need to surround yourself with people that would walk a mile or 5 miles 10 miles to hear a word from God, because they know one word from God can change your world.
I’m prophesying that today this fifth Sunday in this new charge while somebody is taking action on the word from God that is going to break the drought and shift you into abundance and overflow, shift you into a new season.
This is your Sunday for a breakthrough, for a turnaround.
Make this valley full of ditches (not exactly the word you want to hear when you’re in the middle of a desert dying of thirst) make this valley full of ditches.
If you have ever dug ditches then you know it’s hard work. And it’s especially difficult when the ground is hard and dry.
Here they were in a wilderness, a dry, desert valley place, a low place.
And in this place, this low dry desert place, the word of the Lord says dig ditches.
It was hard slow and difficult work (no doubt their hands were bleeding their backs were sore, their arms were aching their shoulders were aching and to top it all off, their thirst was becoming unbearable).
I’m talking to some people right now who have been in that same place: that low dry place everything is hard, it’s difficult, it takes a great amount of effort.
You have to force yourself to praise the Lord.
You have to force yourself to pray.
You have to force yourself to read the Bible.
You have to force yourself to go to church.
And it feels like you’re so dry and empty and your mind is saying this is ridiculous and the devil is telling you it’s not worth it.
The devil is telling you it’s over, it’s dead, and it’s never going to happen.
(Those dreams and visions) those prophecies are never going to come to pass.
You’re never going to launch that ministry.
You never going to write that book.
You’re never going to see those children saved.
You never going to start that business.
You’re never going to get out of debt.
You’re never going to go to the nations.
And when you look at your present circumstances and what you’re feeling (the temptation is to agree with him).
But somebody needs to make up in your mind that you are going to hold on to your promise and hold on to that prophecy and hold on to that dream and that vision and keep digging.
I know it’s hard work, I know it’s difficult, I know sometimes it doesn’t make sense, I know sometimes you don’t feel like it, but you have to keep digging.
You may be in the greatest drought season of your life, everything around you seems to be dried up.
But the only way to get through it is to keep on moving, keep on digging, keep on praying, keep on praising, keep on sowing, keep on coming to church.
What do you do when you’re going through the fire? (You keep on walking).
What do you do when you’re going through the Red Sea and the Egyptian army is closing in on you? (You keep on walking).
What do you do when you find yourself in the Valley of the shadow of death? (You keep on walking).
What you don’t realize is that in that low dry place where you are digging and your hands are bleeding and your muscles are aching and you got dirt in your hair and in your mouth and under your fingernails.
What you don’t realize is this: (you are building a landing strip for God’s blessings in your life).
2) You are the one who determines how deep and how wide is his provisions, his glory, and his anointing in your life.
You are creating the capacity to receive a greater glory, a greater power, a greater anointing, a greater blessing than you have ever had in your life.
I know the devil meant it to kill you.
I know he meant to drive you out of the ministry.
I know he meant to convince you that it was hopeless.
I know it’s been hard, and it’s been dry, and I know you felt like everybody was throwing dirt in your face.
But I came to tell you: it’s a setup, God is getting ready to flip the script and you’re going to see the fruit of your labor.
God is not unrighteous to forget your labor of love. Be not weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you faint not. This is somebody’s due season.
It’s a new season:
Elijah said: I hear the sound of an abundance of rain (he picked it up in the spirit).
I believe today somebody is picking it up in the spirit (somebody has just caught the sound of the abundance of rain in their spirit).
I came into this house today not just to preach but I came to prophesy.
I am anointed this morning to prophesy.
I’m anointed to tell somebody the drought is over.
Keep Digging
I’m prophesying to somebody who has been in a spiritual drought
Tell your neighbor: I’am digging
I know I’m not talking to everybody, but I’m talking to somebody.
But I came to tell you: the drought is breaking, and in the same place, (I said in the same place) where the enemy said it’s over. In the same place where the enemy said I’m going to destroy you.
I’m going to destroy your ministry.
I’m going to destroy your marriage.
I’m going to destroy your family.
I’m going to destroy your health.
I’m going to destroy you financially.
In that same place where the devil said it’s going to end you’re going to dry up and die.
I came to prophesy to you: in that very same place, you’re getting ready to tap Into a fresh anointing and a brand-new supply of the glory and the power of God and you’re going to rise up with a new boldness and a new faith and determination and a new anointing and you’re going to go into the enemy’s camp and you’re going to take back everything he stole from you during the drought.
3) There’s a drought breaking anointing here right now.
I feel somebody is getting up in their faith.
Somebody is standing up on the inside.
*Somebody’s caught the scent of water*
Job 14:7-9 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 Yet (through the scent of water) it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
Did you hear that? The scent of water: not the actual water or taste of water, but just the scent of it.
I’m trying to preach but I feel the spirit of prophecy:
Somebody is catching the scent of water right now.
You can’t feel it, you can’t see it you can’t taste it (but you smelled it).
Push your neighbor and tell them: I smell it, I smell it.
The scent of water is in the air.
The scent of breakthrough is in the air.
The scent of miracles is in the air.
The scent of revival is in the air.
The scent of a new anointing is in the air.
*I feel the wind changing*
*I feel a shift in the atmosphere*
(it was hot and dry, but I feel a change, I feel humidity in the air).
I can’t see any difference yet, but I feel it in the atmosphere.
The atmosphere is getting heavy, the atmosphere is getting thick.
Somebody needs to lift your hands and give God praise right now: the glory of the Lord is here, his presence is in this house.
(I feel the spirit of drought breaking)
the wind is blowing: The season is changing
I smell water.
I smell life.
I smell joy.
I smell restoration.
I smell deliverance.
I smell a new level of anointing.
No wonder the devil has fought you so hard, no wonder he’s tried to kill you in the wilderness.
He knew if you ever got to the water he wouldn’t have a chance.
He knew if you’ve ever tapped Into that hidden power that he wouldn’t have a chance, you would tear him up.
The Bible says you will (not see) wind nor rain, yet that Valley shall be filled with water.
And he thought that you would just fold your hands and you would quit.
He thought you would just throw in the towel and give up.
He thought that you would fall apart.
He thought you would have a nervous breakdown.
He thought you would get angry and bitter and resentful and critical.
He thought you would just sit down and cry.
We have to stay faithful, Faithfulness to God is a wonderful thing because of the strength and the blessing that it brings to so many.
When we stay faithful to our Lord the church gains members: The church grows only because God blesses the efforts of "the faithful" as they spread His word and serve others.
When we stay faithful to our Lord He has a true servant: The faithful brother or sister in Christ is a "servant." Jesus said, "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:27-28)
When we stay faithful to our Lord the community gains a powerful Christian influence: It is God's will that Christians shine as light in a world of darkness. We must remember at all times who we are. We are children of God. You belong to God because you have been adopted into His family. When you go out into the world you are representing your heavenly Father. Our mission is to accept the Word of God into our life and to shine brightly as we give out that same Word of God to this dark world! The very life of a Christian must be an honor to Jesus Christ and to His cause. If a Christian loses his influence he is good for nothing. (Matthew 5:13)
When we stay faithful to our Lord we save our own soul. Those that stay faithful save their souls. We have to urge Christians not abandon their faith in Christ. The difficulty come not in obtaining faith but in maintaining that commitment and dedication over the years. After conversion the real life problems are still there. You still have to deal with family, job, health and many other issues. The faithful can pray the prayer of Psalm 86:2, "Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee." Our soul is at stake. Let us never be casual about our faithfulness to the Almighty.
The Enemy felt like he had you and that he/she was winning he never guessed you have faith that you would keep going.
He never counted on you digging ditches.
