No Rain in Sight?.....Keep Diggin' Those Ditches!

What are your expectations for the year ahead? Have you let a little fear about your abilities as a teacher creep in and lower your expectations? Did you have a rough year last year and so this year you are hoping to just get through half of your textbooks and have fewer meltdowns?

God gives us some instructions on how to proceed when we have reduced our expectations based on past experiences. In 2 Kings chapter 3, we read about three kings who had joined together to travel to Moab to deal with their revolt. In verse 9, we find that they have run into a problem of not enough water. Out of desperation, they decide to consult with the prophet Elisha to seek the Lord’s favor. After hearing from the Lord, Elisha tells the kings , “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ ” (2 Kings 3:16 NKJ) He goes on to tell them to make the ditches even though they will see no signs of rain or even wind coming. They obey and the Lord fills the ditches the next day with plenty of water for all and even goes on to deliver victory to them over the Moabites.

We learn from this passage that we are to be obedient to God’s commands even when we don’t understand them and we don’t see any obvious way as to how He will bless our obedience. As homeschool parents, we are to bring our children up in the teaching and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4). So even when we are filled with doubts as to our qualifications to be “good” teachers, or we feel like failures because our kids are struggling in an area, it doesn’t mean that we are to give up and lower our expectations. No, keep on keepin’ on and trusting the Lord for the results. He wants to fill our ditches with living water, but we have to keep digging the ditches!
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Happy to be in the field digging ditches with you!
 
Susan Truman