My wife has a favorite passage she likes to hear me preach. Like any sermon, the delivery is never the same, but the main thought is always the same. It is the story from 2 Kings chapter three.
The kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom go out to war with Moab. As they journey their water runs so low they think they will die. In their hour of despair Elisha delivers a message from the Lord in verses 16-17, “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.” In short, the lesson is when all seems lost the Lord will provide for victory over sin and judgment of sin.
The how He did it is where I want to focus today. God most certainly has the power to send water any way He desires, but there are some other theories. This area, the wilderness of Edom was known for its flash flooding, and many scholars think this is the most likely explanation for the supply of water. Now before you think I am trying to explain away a miracle, let me explain how I find this to be even more miraculous and fitting with the whole Bible narrative. A flash flood high in the mountains above the wilderness of Edom would have had to come days in advance of Elisha’s request, and it would have produced the water without them seeing the rain. The miraculous part of this story would be that God sent the rain before the people even knew of their need, but timed its arrival perfectly for their request for water and their obedience of filling the valley with ditches. Why do I like this explanation of these miraculous events? I think this answer perfectly fits the method of Christ’s salvation of sinners as recorded in God’s word. Jesus Christ is God’s Messiah, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. In God’s glorious plan He sent His Son before we ever knew our need. Christ came so that at the right moment God would reveal the grace given through His Son by His Word that those who would believe would respond in faith leading to repentance in every generation.
I feel like we have been filling the valley with ditches since we got here in January. I haven’t seen the storm clouds but I have faith that the God who owns all will send us what we need. We are kicking off our new vision for revitalizing our Children’s Home ministry during our SPECIAL EMPHASIS this year. We will continue to receive referrals as we have in the past, but we are adding some extra steps to be more helpful to children and families in need. The short of it is we will begin an aggressive strategy of pursuing children who require love and care. Before now we have not had an answer for extended family members who do not have custodial rights, which would not allow them to sign children over to the Children’s Home. In this new strategy family, community, and churches who have witnessed neglect and abuse will be able to come to us to report facts. We will pass along this information to the proper Child Protective Services office. After allowing CPS to do their job of removing children from dangerous circumstances we will act on the child’s behalf if they do not. We will rescue children from abuse and neglect through the aid of our legal system.
The outcomes of these cases will be various. If we receive false reports the facts will bring this to light and the child will remain in a loving home. If the reports of neglect and abuse are true CPS should do their job in removing the child from a dangerous situation. If the reports are true but CPS is to overwhelmed by current caseloads we will file the appropriate paperwork for custody of the child. The judge will make a ruling for the parents to meet certain criteria to regain custody of their children. We would not be taking these children from their parents or keep these children from their parents. Their actions and legal court findings would determine each case. We will be able to see success in many areas as we move forward. Even if we are not awarded custody of a child we can take hope in the fact that we were a part of the process of protecting a child if CPS does their job in removing a child from a deadly environment. If we are awarded custody then we get the benefit of investing the love of Christ into that child’s life.
This new strategy can only be successful with God’s provision as He supplies through the lives of His people. We still need you to share our services with your communities. We still need you to let families know we are here to help. We still need you to keep your eyes open for those children that desperately need someone to defend them with the character of Christ. We need your prayers as we embark on this new journey, and we need your support.
This year’s SPECIAL EMPHASIS goal is $50,000. This will help fund our lawyers who will fight these legal battles for us. This will also help fund certified counselors at Crossroads Christian Counseling to help these children with Biblical counseling through the ordeals they have experienced. Also, these funds will help with administrative costs for new houseparents that will become a must as this new vision becomes a reality. If we want our Children’s Home to serve like it should it will take all of us working dependently on the Lord.
Please join us Tuesday evening October 22nd, 2019 after the Annual Message of the of our state association meeting for a cake and coffee reception in the Big Creek Fellowship Hall to honor the years of service of Bro. Sidney Davis, Sis. Pat Davis, and Sis. Betty Turnbow. And please contact us if you would like for us to come to your church in November, December, or beyond. Contact the office (601-426-3928), our Facebook page, or my cell phone (662-605-0996). Keep up with us on our website at msbch.org and through email at info@msbch.org. Stay on the lookout for updates, prayer needs, and service opportunities.