He said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

The people in our text badly needed something to defeat an enemy. They desperately needed water in order to survive. The area where they were was not suitable to receive the water they so desperately needed. They went to a prophet to get advice, and the prophet told them to dig ditches. Digging ditches was not a likely method to defeat an enemy, let alone to find water, but the Lord commanded that ditches be dug. The lesson we will learn from our text is when we obey God, we may expect God’s blessings.

Israel was about to fight against a much larger Moabite army, and they were almost surely to be defeated.  The Lord spoke to Elijah and told him to speak to the king.  The message was that the valley in which the battle was to occur was to be dug full of ditches.  When the ditches were dug, the Lord sent a miraculous rain which filled the trenches.  Early the next day the Moabite army went to attack Israel.  As they crested the ridge overlooking the valley of ditches, the rising sun made the entire valley appear to be full of blood.  The superstitious Moabites fled, and Israel was delivered from defeat.

Obedience always brings blessing. When we obey, we must obey because we believe God. As demonstration of our faith in God, we ought to prepare for God’s blessing. We must dig our trenches. Let me illustrate. There is something special about a steam locomotive; they possess a unique beauty. What catches my attention the most is the power and harmony which characterize the motion of a steam engine. Pistons push the driving rods back and forth as they turn massive driving wheels. The synchronization of the massive, powerful machinery is unmatched in its beauty. What makes the machinery move is steam. Without the steam, the engine will sit useless. In order for the engine to have steam, it must have fire and water. Behind every steam engine is a car called a tender. The tender holds the fuel and the water necessary to make the steam to propel the pistons which thrust the driving rods back and forth. An engine without a tender cannot move, and a Christian without faith that God will bless obedience is like a tender-less steam locomotive. There is no fuel to motivate the believer’s obedience. There is no belief that blessings will come. The result is a powerless Christian life.

What are your thoughts on this verse?

Can you expect God to bless you if you ignore or disobey Him?

What can you do to prepare for God’s blessing on your life?

What kinds of blessings can we expect when we obey God?