How Deep Is Your Ditch?

As archaic as the bit may be, one of the quickest ways for Hollywood to establish a scene as being a funeral is to include a voice over of Psalms 23. In fact, the phrase most commonly utilized in film and novel to represent the chapter is “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Perhaps for this reason, the valley has become synonymous with trial and hardship. In truth, however, every land—whether promised land or unfriendly territory—boasts both hills and valleys, gorges and mountaintops.

The common rhetoric promotes the mountain top as good times and the valley as being tough times; therefore, it would seem that if you are in a spiritual, emotional, or even a physical valley that the best course of action would be to climb to higher ground.

While this seems good advice, there are many valleys within this world that are not easily escaped. I speak of both the physical and the metaphysical!

Consider, if you will, the Royal Gorge in Colorado. The Royal Gorge is 1,053 feet deep with sheer-faced walls which drop at almost a ninety degree angle from the canyon ridge! Climbing from the bottom of the gorge to the top is no simple hike; in fact, of those attempting to scale the walls of the gorge, there have been countless mishaps and even fatalities!



This is why, for simple tourists like my family, the park authorities have provided a tram that slides people up and down the walls, a suspension bridge for crossing the divide, and plenty of safety guardrails!

While the steepness of the Royal Gorge is quite a challenge for anyone seeking to leave its deep bottom trails, the Capertee Valley in Australia would, likewise, prove difficult to escape, being even wider and longer than the Grand Canyon! Not only is the distance formidable, but Capertee is the largest ‘enclosed’ valley in the world, meaning that any escape from it requires strenuous climbing! You can’t simply keep trudging through the valley until it levels onto higher ground!

Personally, I Love Valleys….But Only In the Natural!Personally, I have to say that I love being in the valley. I grew up in a basin in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Similar to the enclosed valley at Capertee—though definitely smaller—a basin is completely enclosed by mountains. What a beautiful view! To wake up each morning and see glorious monoliths reaching upwards in every direction!

Many valleys prove to be lush and green, becoming depositories for melted snow. The valley, however, could prove a grave in Old Testament times.

While its soil is often much richer than that to be found on the mountain, it leaves one open to the enemy. Whenever armies have faced off, whether we consider Biblical times or even World War I trench warfare, it is usually the army blessed with higher ground that wins the battle! Quite simply, you can see more when you have the advantage of height over your enemy. And you gather momentum as you charge downward, rather than losing your breath fighting your way up an incline!

The valley, then, whatever its appearance, can certainly be a death trap!

A Valley Between You and Your Miracle

We find that valleys throughout scripture have proven to be just that. In Numbers 32, we find the account of the children of Israel being sentenced to wander for forty years in the wilderness.

“Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the [promised] land. For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.”

As we can see, the children of Israel were in a valley when they sent spies into the land of Canaan to spy out the promise of God. A physical valley it was, yes. But, by their lack of faith, we can see that they were in a spiritual valley as well…a valley that cost that generation their promise!

Likewise, we find a valley in the story of Achan. As you will recall, during the time that the next generation of Israelites was fighting the different Canaanite inhabitants to conquer the promised land, they were commanded not to take spoils. Achan disobeyed this command, taking a Babylonian garment and some gold. Because of his transgression, the children of Israel were nearly slaughtered at the Battle of Ai, leading to a great loss of life and discouragement for the entire camp.

Take note of Joshua 8:11, “And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.”

Was it a physical valley between the Israelites and this battle of Ai? Most likely, yes. But there was also a spiritual valley, a time of temptation and failure for Achan that cost the children of Israel dearly! His was a valley of decision—a valley that cost him and his family their lives.

Trust me, even in this modern age, the valley is no less unforgiving, brutal, and dangerous.

Like the children of Israel under Moses, the valley can discourage you from following God’s calling and believing in his promise for your life, causing you to willingly forfeit his blessings and ministry! Of course, the inhabitants of the land looked like giants; they were being viewed by a people in the valley—a valley likely caused by years of traveling like nomads, eating the same thing day in and day out, and with the mindset that they were nothing more than slaves, thanks to four hundred years in Egyptian bondage!

Furthermore, as we see in the case of Achan, weakness in our valley and a lack of godly direction can lead to the destruction of our soul, those of our family, and even those within our church body. What was Achan’s spiritual valley? Could it be the death of his parents in the wilderness that made him seek sustenance of the Babylonians in place of trusting in God? We will never know.

Truly, the valley can not only be a disheartening place but it can strip you of everything you hold dear.

His Ways Are Not Our Ways

Our response to this knowledge might be to start planning a way of escape for the valley we face today.

Being an avid hiker in the past, as well as a planner, I must admit that every time I have sought to climb a mountain, I have planned a route, and prepared myself with granola bars, water, and a first aid kit. Climbing seems the logical step when you are stuck in a valley—especially when there is an enemy in hot pursuit of you!

In fact, any time we have someone chasing us, it is our instinct to run; we don’t even need to think that one through!

However, I found God’s planning to be a bit different in the case of three of Isaac’s descendants in II Kings 3. It was during the time that the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms: Israel and Judah. The Moabites, who had been under the rule of Israel, had rebelled and King Jehoram of Israel asked for the assistance of King Jehoshaphat of Judah and, likewise, of the King of Edom. Here, we see a rare example where the descendants of Jacob and his brother, Esau, worked together.

Having reached a valley after seven days, the kings found their men and their livestock in desperate need of water in a strange land. The King of Israel began to fear the worst of the King of Judah quickly asked, “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?”

In response, Elisha was summoned.

Interestingly, the answer of the Lord was not to climb back out of the valley. It was not to seek higher ground, as any military strategist would have likely encouraged!

Instead, the Lord’s advice would make the valley even deeper!

The Word? “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. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.”

Now just what sort of sense does that make anyway?

Ok, we’re in a valley but now we’re going to dig even deeper, making huge trenches.

To the Israelites, inhabitants of Judah, and Edomites, it must have seemed they were, instead, digging their own graves as they peered back over their shoulders watching for the Moabites to descend upon them!

And water without a cloud in the sky…and no wind to bring moisture into the area?

In my mind’s eye, I can just imagine these three kings looking at each other. Hmm, has this prophet been out in this dry, parched valley too long?

The same question likely ran through the mind of the soldiers as they wondered just what these three kings were thinking. Here we are in a battle for our lives and you want us to set aside our weapons and stop scanning the horizon to … dig. Just dig? Dig. You’re sure that’s what you want? No, really.

As ludicrous as it must have seemed, digging was the answer.

Notice what happened: “And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border. And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.”

“And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.”

Digging ditches provided means for a miracle.

How do we dig ditches in our times of hardship and trial?

***When you feel so low you can’t lift your head, bow it in prayer instead.

***When you feel empty, empty yourself further with fasting.

***When the ‘to do’ list is more than you can handle, add one more ‘to do’ and read the Word.
Here’s a hint: The deeper the ditch, the more water it will hold to sustain you in your valley!

Case in point: Consider the widow whose sons were about to become slaves to pay off their late father’s debts. She too ran to the prophet Elisha.

She had no money and the debt was piled so high that the only redemption would be at the cost of her sons’ freedom.

The answer from the man of God? Go into deeper debt.

That’s right. She was advised to borrow even more—only this time she was to borrow as many empty vessels as she could find.

I know how I would feel in such a situation: What’s the point? I can’t keep them and certainly can’t sell something that doesn’t belong to me. I have all these debts and now I owe my neighbors too? Surely this empty pot (this talent, this program, this method, this idea, this whatever) doesn’t count because it’s not my own.

Sometimes we need to remember that we own nothing; all is the Lord’s anyway. It is all on loan from Him!

As much as she borrowed, however, God filled with oil out of her meager vessel! We may not think we have the strength for this trial, the faith for this challenge, or the talent for this ministry, but be encouraged! If you will dig the ditch or borrow the vessel, God will fill it! It is God who giveth the increase!

The more souls you bring to the altar—empty though they may seem—the more He will fill. The greater the preparation you make for your miracle or your ministry, the greater God will move! The number of pots the widow gathered were a measure of her faith; the salvation of her family as well as the financial assurance she needed for the rest of her life depended on those empty vessels!

In This Thing Called Life

Just remember that in this life—even when you are perfectly following the path God has designed for you—there will be mountaintops and gorges you will face. But it is God—and always will be—who sends the rain upon the dry and thirsty ground.

As God instructed his children in Deuteronomy 11:11, “the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven.”

The Prophet Joel spoke of the "valley of decision" in Joel 3:14. He said that there are multitudes in this valley because the day of the LORD is near. Essentially, any valley is one of decision: will you dig or try your own path?

Rest assured, you will find a wellspring of water when you dig deeper into God, just as Isaac’s servants in Genesis 26. There is no greater abasement than humility before God—humility enough to follow instructions you cannot understand to the saving of yourself and your household!

My question: How deep is your ditch?