Evening, May 16
Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
"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."
2 Kings 3:16,17
The armies of the three kings were famishing for want of water: God was
about to send it, and in these words the prophet announced the coming
blessing. Here was a case of human helplessness: not a drop of water
could all the valiant men procure from the skies or find in the wells
of earth. Thus often the people of the Lord are at their wits' end;
they see the vanity of the creature, and learn experimentally where
their help is to be found. Still the people were to make a believing
preparation for the divine blessing; they were to dig the trenches in
which the precious liquid would be held. The church must by her varied
agencies, efforts, and prayers, make herself ready to be blessed; she
must make the pools, and the Lord will fill them. This must be done in
faith, in the full assurance that the blessing is about to descend.
By-and-by there was a singular bestowal of the needed boon. Not as in
Elijah's case did the shower pour from the clouds, but in a silent and
mysterious manner the pools were filled. The Lord has his own sovereign
modes of action: he is not tied to manner and time as we are, but doeth
as he pleases among the sons of men. It is ours thankfully to receive
from him, and not to dictate to him. We must also notice the remarkable
abundance of the supply--there was enough for the need of all. And so
it is in the gospel blessing; all the wants of the congregation and of
the entire church shall be met by the divine power in answer to prayer;
and above all this, victory shall be speedily given to the armies of
the Lord.
What am I doing for Jesus? What trenches am I digging? O Lord, make me
ready to receive the blessing which thou art so willing to bestow.