II KINGS 3:16

          And he said, "This is what the Lord says: 'Make the valley full of ditches... You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.'" (NIV)



  The book of II Kings was probably written by the prophet Jeremiah, although this is not known for certain.  It consists of history... the stories of the kings of Israel until Israel's defeat by Assyria.  Throughout these stories, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two areas - Israel and Judah - each with separate kings.  Unfortunately, the two groups didn't always get along with each other.  The stories in the book of II Kings are told chronologically; king-by-king.  Sadly, four out of five kings was evil... Not too surprising that the nation fell, is it?  (Sound familiar?)

Water flowing from a rock in the desert; unknown photographer

      The location of this three-sixteen is the desert of Edom.  The prophet Elisha is speaking,  giving a message from God to the kings of  Edom, Israel, and Judah.  Elisha's prophecy starts with the pronouncement that   despite their being in the Moab desert,  there would be water in the morning.  Prolific amounts of water. The prophecy goes on to say that against all odds the Lord will hand over Moab to Israel in battle.  Sure enough, God kept His promise, and the valley was flooded the next day despite the fact that it had not rained...
      The water played a large part in Israel winning the battle over Moab.  When the army of Moab saw the water, they saw a red reflection in it and thought it was blood.  They assumed that the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom had fought to the death, and that they were all slain in battle.  So they rode on their horses into the camps of the Israelites, where the Israelites fought them and won.

"Blood River",  from Butterfunk.com

  God keeps His promises.  In this story, Elisha's prophecy was fulfilled right down to the tiniest detail. That's the way it is when you listen and obey. (Yup; it's the pesky obedience word, again!)
     Elisha was the direct spiritual heir of Elijah.  Both prophets had deep compassion for the people, but their focus was different.  Elijah was a warrior who called down fire from heaven to destroy captains and armies.  Elisha, on the other hand, performed miracles to serve the common people, such as providing water in the desert.
  
      But, all miracles come from God.   Are you prepared for miracles in your life?
  
       They happen every day.