By Clay Hallmark
President, Tennessee Baptist Convention
There is an interesting story found in II Kings 3:9-24, which can help each of us understand something important about the kind of faith God blesses. In this story, the Kings of Judah, Israel, and Edom set out to fight the Moabites who had become a threat to them.
After traveling for seven days, the Kings and armies found themselves in the desert and without water for themselves and their animals. When they got in trouble, they decided to call on Elisha and seek God.
Elisha entered into a time of worship to seek the will of God. These Kings were excited thinking that God would send rain and provide for them. Instead, God told the Kings through Elisha in verses 16-17, “Dig ditch after ditch in this wadi.’ For the Lord says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the wadi will be filled with water, and you will drink — you and your cattle and your animals (CSB).’ ”
This is not what the Kings wanted to hear. They wanted God to do the digging. They wanted Him to just send the rain and the blessings while they only received it.
As I travel throughout Tennessee talking to churches and pastors, I am meeting many people who have a great desire to see God work in the church to bring about revival, renewal, revitalization and the rain of His blessings.
What I know from Scripture is that God desires to do this in His church. However, what I have also observed is that too many of our leaders and churches are standing still when by faith we should be busy with the task of “digging ditch after ditch” in preparation for God to move. There are a couple of things I want to encourage you with today.
First, we must put our faith on display. God can send the water we need into our dry lives and churches any way He chooses to do so, but He wants to see our faith. He wants us to put our faith in Him into action. The Lord is ready and willing to meet our greatest needs and fill up our lives, but first we need to provide a ditch for Him to fill.
I wonder, do you really trust God enough to provide an empty ditch for Him to fill or are you spending most of your time trying to fill your own ditch?
Second, not only must we put our faith on display, but we must start in a diminutive way. Last month I talked to you about my philosophy of ministry in how as God’s people we must “start small and grow strong.” The kind of faith God blesses believes big, dreams big, and has a big vision, but it is willing to start small.
Think about these three Kings and three armies. To defeat the enemy before them, they needed God to meet their greatest need. God told them to start “digging ditch after ditch in the wadi” and He would meet their need. At this point, someone had to go and get a shovel and start to dig.
Someone had to have enough faith in God and God’s Word to do what God commanded. Getting a shovel and starting to dig the first ditch and move the first bit of dirt was certainly starting small, but God blessed that faith!
We read in verse 20, “About the time for the grain offering the next morning, water suddenly came from the direction of Edom and filled the land (CSB).”
So, here is the question we need to answer: What do you need to start in your church so that God might send the water? God will not fill a person, a church, or a small group class that is already full. Where do you need to begin digging some ditches in your life, your ministry, and in your church so that God can fill them with revival, renewal, revitalization, and His rain? Get your shovel right now and by faith, start digging! Let me know how I can help you by e-mailing me at clayhallmark@fbclexington.com. B&R — Hallmark is senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Lexington.