Will Alignment

"He said, 'Thus says the Lord, 'Make this valley full of trenches.' "For thus says the Lord, 'You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts." 2 Kings 3:16-17

The kings of Judah and Edom had allied themselves with aggrieved king of Israel, Jehoram, in an effort to do battle with the offending king of Moab. It should be noted that Jehoram was a wicked king but the king of Judah was righteous. Having set their battle plan to go through an area of wilderness, they found themselves without water for their men and animals. Wisely, they sought the prophet Elijah to advocate for them with God. It should also be noted that Elijah would have had nothing to do with Jehoram had it not been for the presence of Judah's king.

God's instruction, in short, was to prepare themselves for a miraculous blessing. They would have all the water they needed if they followed His instructions. They would not be inundated by rain which might have actually hindered their efforts, yet the Lord promised that they would have water.

Beloved, we do not always know how God will accomplish those things for which we have prayed, but we should always be prepared for an affirmative answer when the request aligns with His will. In this case the Moabites had offended God and wronged His people. It may be in your life that God take action in order to accomplish His will. Perhaps you WILL receive that promotion in order to be able to carry His word to more people and contribute more financially to His kingdom. Perhaps you WILL recover your health in an effort to be more convinced of His grace and mercy and will in turn be an encouragement to others. Perhaps He WILL send a spouse to you in order to allow you to defeat temptation and thereby be preserved. But as the kings did, you must prepare to receive such blessings.

God truly delivered on His promise to the kings. Water was delivered to the people of God via a flash flood from a distant storm. Not only did they have water to drink, but the blood like appearance of the waters' reflection of the rising sun caused the enemy to believe the kings had fought among themselves. Thinking this they went out to meet the prepared army and were themselves consumed.

Our God is a mighty God who blesses His children in accordance with His will. Does yours align with His? Despite the fact that there may be Jehorams in your life, be sure that you are the Judah that finds favor. God always comes through.

Discipling,

Lee

Can You Hear Him Now?

"So the Lord called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' Then Eli discerned that the Lord was calling the boy. And Eli said to Samuel,"'Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, 'Speak, for Your servant is listening.'" 1 Sam 3:8-10

God in His divine wisdom saw fit to call a young boy into his service. Samuel was a product of a devout father and a mother who struggled to bear children. For years his mother cried and prayed that God would bless her and that if He did, she would give the child to Him. God answered her prayer and she kept her promise. She left the boy with God's man, Eli, at a tender age and he began to be instructed in the way of the Lord. Then at a God determined point in his life, he was called into service by the very voice of the Almighty.

Beloved, there are many things that call to us today. We are inundated with messages from a variety of media that contend for our attention. Some of these messages are positive, some neutral and some negative. We must ask ourselves, however, if we are tuned in to God. It is His call that is quiet but firm, powerful and consistent. He placed within each of us the ability to recognize His voice. Paul writes, "...that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" Rom 1:19-20. Contextually, this is a chastisement for those who have ignored the call of God and have acted unrighteously. But it clearly reveals that He has placed within us the ability to hear and know Him.

Further, His voice can be heard in our morality; our sense of right and wrong. Whether one is a believer or not, we all have a sense of what  we should do over against what we should not. This is  the God channel. It is not here stated that we hear God's audible call today. In fact Heb 1:1-2 tells us a bit of the history of His communication with us. The point is He still speaks. Be it through observed nature that make His existence evident or the conscience He has placed within us to respond to Him, He still speaks. When He calls, we need to turn everything else off and respond, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Pursuing discipleship,

Lee