We can go about our days and live and experience life with its ups and downs and be content. We can experience lessons and draw meaning and can even credit God when He intervenes for our protection. We can thank Him for blessings when we feel especially thankful. We can ask for help when we are afraid. We can ask for direction when big decisions loom over us. Do we want to involve God? Are we not already doing that?

Reading 2 Kings 3 there was a part that stopped me in my tracks. The king of Israel, Joram, and the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, along with the king of Edom who was under Judah’s control and marching with them, had decided to go against the king of Moab who had stopped paying tribute to Israel to the amount of 100,000 lambs and the wool of those lambs annually. They have marched through the desert and have run out of water. So the king of Israel asks, “What! Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?” v. 10. Did the Lord call them together?

The king of Judah asks if there is no prophet of the Lord here that we could ask. An officer of the king of Israel tells him Elisha is here. That’s when Elisha asks the question I ask here of us. “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” v. 13. And again, the king of Israel claims the Lord has called them together to deliver us into the hands of Moab. v. 13. Elisha tells them the Lord will fill the valley with pools of water for drinking and He will deliver Moab into their hands, v. 16-19. The Lord will.

Hearing about the armies of the kings, the Moabites prepare to meet them but in the morning light the water looks like blood. They go to fight them thinking they have already fought against each other – only to be routed and destroyed. The king of Moab seeing what is happening sacrifices his own son on the city wall. v. 26-27.

Reading about these kings of old I can’t help but wonder how things could have been different had they involved God at every level. How about the world today? Wars are being committed, crimes are being committed to disastrous results for all involved. We cry out, we mourn, we question, why God?

Why God? Because when we ask Him to help us He does. We become aware of His Presence guiding us. In frustration this morning with the slow pace of my overcoming faults within me, He reminded me this work we do together takes time. He reminded me He is already here and actively working for good in the lives of those I love and care about. We face burdens of illness, cancer, helping others who are hurting and we grow weary. It’s written on our faces. He is already here working with us giving comfort and courage and it is good. We are already with Him! Open our hearts Lord and help us to see. You love us. You are with us.

Last night in our Midweek Encounter on Zoom, we listened to a beautiful song by Enya and in the listening shared what we were learning from and with God’s help. Our pastor asked what if the song we listened to wasn’t so beautifully sung reminding us of praise to God? Is God in desolate places not so beautifully sung about? Do we want to involve God? He is already working. We may be blinded and unable to see but He is not. He loves the weary, the hurting, the ones who do the hurting. He loved the king of Moab and his son and one day they will stand before Him not to be tortured by eternal fire but to receive the healing only God can give in His great love and care. They need His healing…so do we. He is already with us. Ask. He’s here. Always.