2 Kings: Spiritual Water

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, April 16, 2016
Chapters: 2 Kings 3-5
Message: 2 Kings: Spiritual Water

Hello My Friend,

Water, it is everywhere, it cleans us, nourishes us, sustains us. Our bodies are sixty percent water, we can survive days without food, but barely a day without water. Not all water is good for us, some can be toxic, in fact, people die every day from swimming in or drinking contaminated water. Not all water is the wet stuff we drink and wash with. We not only need water for our physical bodies, but our souls as well, this type of water can be found nowhere except through Jesus Christ. “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” - John 4:13,14.

Did you ever feel the affects of being dehydrated, headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, you literally feel dried out. The same rings true when we get spiritually dehydrated, we lose focus, motivation, our brain gets tired. Now, when God wants to fill us with spiritual water He does it a little differently than us just reading His word and praying, He proves us by testing us to see if we are listening to Him. Now, when Elisha asked God for a double portion of blessings I imagine he did not realize all the people he was going to deal with. After king Ahaziah died, Jehoram, his brother reigned because Ahaziah had no sons, Jehoram enlists help from Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom to defeat Moab once and for all. Now, there they are, three kings in the middle of nowhere, with no water, cornered by Moab. They sought a man of God to get answers and went to Elisha, and I imagine they dod not get the answer they expected.

“And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border. And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.” - 2 Kings 3:16-21,24.

“Make this valley full of ditches.” Sometimes in order to be filled with spiritual water we need to get prepare for it to pour in. I imagine the kings kept wondering with each hole they dug why they were doing it, nevertheless, they did, and the next morning they were filled with water to sustain them and their cattle. Interestingly enough, when Moab looked down into the valley that water looked like blood, they thought that the kings fought and killed each other, and when they went down to take the army, Israel defeated them. When you are feeling all dried up inside, wondering what God is doing with your life, start digging ditches, He will fill you up and show you what He is doing. “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” - Job 23:8-10.

Another way that God uses to fill us with spiritual water is to test our faith. It is one thing to praise Him when He gives us something, but what happens if He takes it away. Elisha traveled up and down the Northern Kingdom helping anyone that passed him by, he met a woman, we do not know her name, but do know that she was a godly woman who desperately wanted a son. Elisha told her from God that she would have a son, and a year later she and her husband were blessed. Then something tragic happened, the son complaining of a headache died, the woman immediately went to Elisha and shortly after he arrives at their house.

“And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.” - 2 Kings 4:32-36.

“and put his mouth upon his mouth,” When something tragic happens we do everything we can to fix it, this is when most people start praying. My baby nephew loves kisses, he eagerly awaits kisses and affection, if you take too long he brings his face up to your mouth for you to kiss him. God eagerly awaits our affection too, He has the power to do anything, He just wants our love, and part of that love is having faith even when He takes away the people we love. I love reading this story because it reminds me that true love comes from all directions, and God is the source of that love. Elisha wanted that boy to live as much as the mother did, and while not all people are healed the same way, our faith is the key to all blessings. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,6.

There is another thing that goes along with faith, works. Now, there is only one thing that faith alone gives us and that is salvation through Christ, everything else works must accompany faith. If we want to see God fill us with spiritual water that brings greater rewards we need to do some things. God does not just give His spiritual water to a certain group of people, He welcomes all who want it, and pours it our freely to those who come to Him. Now, we learn of a man named Naaman, he was the Captain of the army in Syria, he was leprous and sought out Elisha, thinking that he would just touch him or something and he will be healed. He got a different answer.

“And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.” - 2 Kings 5:10-15.

“Wash, and be clean?” Was he serious, you want me to wash in that filthy water?, thought the man. At first Naaman was reluctant to do what Elisha had instructed him to do, but after some encouragement he followed them and was miraculously healed. Quiet often we get dried up spiritually is because we do not follow all of God’s instructions completely, but once we do the blessing pour in. Again, while our works have nothing to do with our salvation, they do bring miracles after we are saved. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Elisha who gave his all to serve God. Jesus, gave His when He become a servant. “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” - Philippians 2:8.

Today's Prayer: God, I know that there is nothing that You would not do for us, as I read about the woman selling oil to pay her debt it reminds me of just how much You play a part of every area of my life, even my finances. Lord, I want unwavering faith in You, no doubts, no questions, just living by faith, trusting You even with Your strangest requests. Give me Your power to walk by faith and not by sight, mind, or what I hear from anyone else, help me to obey all Your commands and seek counsel from You in everything I even think about doing. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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