2 Kings 3:20-27: a reflection

20In the morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. 21Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, and stood on the border. 22They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!” 24When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites. 25They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it and attacked it. 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. 27Then he took his oldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

When the armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom are perishing for lack of water in the wilderness, God provides water in an unexpected way: in the morning, without wind or rain, water suddenly comes and fills the countryside. In the morning, about the time of the offering, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. There had been no rain, no visible cause; yet at God's appointed time the water came, meeting the desperate need of the thirsting armies. God provided water where there was none, in an unexpected way, at the moment of need. This shows that God can provide for us unexpectedly, even in the desperate place, bringing what we need when there seems no way. God provided water unexpectedly in the wilderness. God can meet our need in the desperate place, unexpectedly. Water came without rain, at God's appointed time. God provides in unexpected ways when there seems no way.

Notice how the provision came: unexpectedly, without visible cause. The armies were desperate, perishing for lack of water in the wilderness, with no rain in sight and no evident source. And then, in the morning, without wind or rain, water simply came and filled the land. There was no natural explanation they could see; it was God's provision, coming in an unexpected way at the time of their need. This encourages us about God's provision. We can find ourselves in desperate places, in real need, with no visible way that the need could be met, no source in sight. And God can provide unexpectedly, bringing what we need in ways we did not foresee, at the moment of need, even when there seemed no way. God is not limited to the means we can see; he can bring water in the wilderness, provision where there seemed no source. When we are in the desperate place, we can trust that God can provide unexpectedly. God can provide unexpectedly, even where we see no way. In the desperate place, God can bring what we need. God is not limited to the means we can see. Provision can come from God when there seems no source.

That is worth resting in, for God can provide for us unexpectedly, even in the desperate place, bringing what we need when there seems no way, as he brought water to the perishing armies without rain. We can find ourselves in real need with no visible source, no way we can see that the need could be met, and lose hope; but God brought water in the wilderness, unexpectedly, at the time of need, filling the land without rain. God is not limited to the means we can see. When you are in a desperate place with no visible way, remember that God can provide unexpectedly, as he brought water where there was none. Rest in the truth that God can provide for us unexpectedly, even in the desperate place, bringing what we need when there seems no way, as when the armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom were perishing for lack of water in the wilderness, God caused water to come in the morning without wind or rain, filling the countryside and meeting their desperate need; for we can find ourselves in real need with no visible source and no way we can see that the need could be met, and lose hope, but God is not limited to the means we can see and can bring provision where there seemed no source, water in the wilderness, unexpectedly and at the moment of need, so that when we are in a desperate place with no visible way we can trust that God can provide for us in ways we did not foresee, as he provided water for the thirsting armies when there seemed no way.

Lord, when the armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom are perishing for lack of water in the wilderness, you provide water in an unexpected way: in the morning, without wind or rain, water suddenly comes and fills the countryside. In the morning, about the time of the offering, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. There had been no rain, no visible cause; yet at your appointed time the water came, meeting the desperate need of the thirsting armies. You provided water where there was none, in an unexpected way, at the moment of need. This shows that you can provide for me unexpectedly, even in the desperate place, bringing what I need when there seems no way. Show me how the provision came: unexpectedly, without visible cause. The armies were desperate, perishing for lack of water, with no rain in sight and no evident source. And then, in the morning, water simply came and filled the land. There was no natural explanation they could see; it was your provision, coming in an unexpected way at the time of their need. This encourages me about your provision. I can find myself in desperate places, in real need, with no visible way that the need could be met. And you can provide unexpectedly, bringing what I need in ways I did not foresee, at the moment of need, even when there seemed no way. You are not limited to the means I can see. Take that to my heart, for you can provide for me unexpectedly, even in the desperate place. When I am in a desperate place with no visible way, help me remember that you can provide unexpectedly, Lord, as you brought water where there was none, and trust that you can meet my need in ways I did not foresee, not limited to the means I can see.