Preparing for the Increase
How do we prepare for the Increase? (1) By BELIEVING it is coming and (2) By GETTING READY. During the storm season, we followed the paths of hurricanes with intense interest. As they head into the Gulf, folks begin to make preparation. Cars line up for gas. Stores are crowded with people buying flashlight batteries and water and candles and ice and canned goods… they are busy preparing because they KNEW it was coming.
2 Kings 3:7-20:
2Kgs. 3:7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, 1 will go up: 1 am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.
2Kgs. 3:8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered The way through the wilderness of Edom.
2Kgs. 3:9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
2Kgs. 3:10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
2Kgs. 3:11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
2Kgs. 3:12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
2Kgs. 3:13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
2Kgs. 3:14 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
2Kgs. 3:15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
2Kgs. 3’16 And he said, Thus saith the LORD Make this valley full of ditches.
2Kgs. 3:17 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.
2Kgs. 3:18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
2Kgs. 3:19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
2Kgs. 3:20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
The prophet told them to dig ditches. He told them to make the valley full of ditches. They were instructed to dig before there was any water. There was no sign of water. Water was nowhere to be found. There were no rain clouds, no rivers, no streams, no lakes. There was no water. But the Man of God commanded them to DIG DITCHES.
Get Ready. IT is on the way. Water was coming. Dig the ditches. God brought the Water and it was Life to them. The same water that was Life to Israel, became death to those who were fighting against God and God’s people. When the enemies saw the water it appeared to be blood, they rushed in to finish the kill and take the spoils but found God’s People Revived and Ready for Battle. The Moabites were smitten and slain and driven back into their own land. Israel was Victorious. They dug the ditches and prepared for the flood… even in the midst of a drought.
Years ago God spoke to my heart regarding this hour. He took me into His Word and gave me the 54th Chapter of Isaiah. He told me that this promise was ours. Since then, this entire ministry has been given to Making Preparation for The Manifestation. As best as we knew, we followed the leading of God.
Isa 54:2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
Isa 54:3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
He told us to “enlarge the place of our tent…” We did.
He told us to “stretch forth the curtains of our habitation…” We did
He told us to “spare not…” We didn’t.
He told us to “lengthen our cords and strengthen our stakes…” We did
We did what He told us to do.
Now it is time for Him to do what He said He would do: listen:
“For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left ….”
“Thy seed shall inherit the heathen and make the desolate places to be inhabited…”
Now it is time for us to dig the ditches because the flood (increase) is on the WAY. Every ditch we dig will be filled with the overflow. Every ditch that you dig will be filled with the overflow. The only limitation to the flood that is coming is the lack of ditches for the flood to fill. How many will you dig? What will you Believe God for? When are you going to start?
2Kgs. 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2Kgs. 4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall 1 do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
2Kgs. 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
2Kgs. 4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into. all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
2Kgs. 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
2Kgs. 4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
2Kgs. 4:7 Then she came, and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil; and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
The Prophet told the widow woman to go and borrow some pots. He told her to borrow not a few, but many. She was going to need them. She did not need them right then, but she was going to need them. He told her to go behind closed doors with her sons and begin to pour out the oil. All doubt and unbelief had to be shut out. All opinions of men had to be shut out. All skepticism had to be shut out. “What do you need all the empty pots for?”
“You have never had that much oil in your whole life:”
“You will never fill all those pots up.”
“You must be out of your mind.”
She was willing to be ridiculed and criticized. But …she needed a breakthrough. She needed a miracle. She needed God to come through for her. When she had borrowed the pots she began to pour from the vessel of oil. The oil multiplied… it continued… it increased until all the empty pots were full to the brim. The oil did not come until she had the pots. The manifestation did not come until she made the preparation.
This is what God is saying about the increase. IT is on the way. We need to dig our ditches and borrow our pots. God is sending the Rain and the Oil. He wants us to be ready to contain them. The Water will bring Refreshment and Life. The Oil will bring Power and Prosperity.
This is the Abundant Life Jesus came to give to all men. The Increase will bring this into the earth for those who will dig their ditches and borrow their pots.
2022 is our Year for Preparation
dickbraswell 
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