4/7/2020 – Digging Ditches

I hope this email finds you and your family well.  We used to use that expression as a polite greeting but, in these days, it is a sincere hope and prayer.  If you need to talk - financial or otherwise - please give us a call. 

DIGGING DITCHES

There is a passage in II Kings that spoke to me in a powerful way, many years ago.  Three kings in a wilderness, on a fool's mission, were about to die of thirst.  Verses 9 & 10 explains their dilemma: 

So the armies...moved along a roundabout route through the wilderness for seven days; but there was no water for the men or their pack animals.  “Oh, what shall we do?” the king of Israel cried out. “The Lord has brought us here to let the king of Moab defeat us.”

They had been relying on their own strength and wisdom and now they were in a really bad situation.  And God directed them to DIG DITCHES in the wilderness! 

Vs 16-18 “The Lord says to fill this dry valley with trenches to hold the water he will send. You won’t see wind nor rain, but this valley will be filled with water, and you will have plenty for yourselves and for your animals!  But this is only the beginning, for the Lord will make you victorious over the army of Moab!”

I don't know if you've ever been exhausted, parched, and weary - but digging ditches would be the last thing you'd ever want to do.  Especially with no rain in sight. 

What I realized as I read this years ago was that God was directing me to follow a plan just like that for my business.  When times were 'slow' and things seemed dry, God wanted me to dig ditches! 

What are ditches? Ditches are steps of action that back up my belief in God's ability to act on my behalf!  For me, digging ditches meant building business processes to prepare for future growth.  I was committed, by faith, to plan ahead, research, invest.  I believed God had called me to my present work - and doing some early digging put action to that belief.

Might God be calling you to dig some ditches today?  If you are in a slow time, a time of waiting on God to move on your behalf -- dig some ditches!

Here are some suggestions for business or personal development:

1) Learn some computer skills. 

YouTube, Ted Talks, even simple Google searching can open you up to a variety of new skills.

2) Build your resume OR your database. 

Review your resume and update it with new skills, jobs, references, etc.  If you are self-employed or building a business, this is a great time to collect names, addresses, email addresses, etc for future marketing or connection.  

3) Increase connections. 

Put yourself out there - whether it is social media, phone calls, or even handwritten letters.  Let people know that you remember them and want to be connected.

4) Clean out.

Sometimes the most effective ditch-digging happens after you clear away the clutter.  Go through your home, your barn, your basement and make some piles -- sell, donate, trash.  Then follow through!

5) Build some habits.

Set some good habits in place.  Bible study, prayer, time devoted to long-range planning, menu planning, exercise, etc.  Be proactive!