Tying your shoes.
Boiling water for pasta.
Turning on a light switch.
Chipotle for dinner.
Some things in life are just... SIMPLE.
We don't think twice about them.
We don't stress over them.
We don't lie awake at night wondering if they'll work out.
Hence, they are SIMPLE.
But then there's the other list… the list most of us are actually carrying around.
Freedom from an addiction that's had its grip on you for years.
Healing from a marriage that feels more broken than whole.
A relationship with a son or daughter who won't return your calls.
Financial provision when the bills outnumber the paychecks.
Peace of mind that doesn't depend on your circumstances.
Healing for a body that's been fighting a diagnosis.
Restoration of a friendship that ended in silence.
The courage to forgive someone who never apologized.
Direction for a future that feels like fog.
Faith strong enough to survive the waiting.
All of the above… not a list of “simple things.” Rather, that’s a list that is more like…
“God, if You’re really there, this is going to take a miracle.”
2 Kings… that's what I was reading earlier this week, and yes, what I read in 2 Kings 3 led me to the QUESTION of SIMPLE THINGS.
As a bit of context for 2 Kings 3… Israel, Judah, and Edom have joined forces to fight against Moab — and it's not going well. They're marching through the wilderness, and after seven days, they run out of water. No water in the middle of the desert… this is a massive crisis, one that leads the king of Israel to believe this is how it all ends.
When kings were at a loss for what to do next, they'd typically call for a prophet to come and tell them what to do — and so the king calls for the prophet of God, Elisha.
After Elisha has some ‘pointed words’ for the king of Israel's proclivity toward idolatry, Elisha lets these discouraged kings know exactly what the LORD is going to do.
See this in 2 Kings 3:16-17…
"This is what the LORD says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water! You will see neither wind nor rain, says the LORD, but this valley will be filled with water. You will have plenty for yourselves and your cattle and other animals."
I'm not sure what the look on these kings' faces was, but I'm guessing it was one of disbelief. After all, how on earth would there be "plenty" of water for everyone — including the animals — if there were no wind or rain? In the middle of the desert, where will all this water come from?
Again, I'm not sure of the look on their faces, but it must have communicated to Elisha…
"Never in a million years could what you described ever happen."
What Elisha tells these three kings next — well, it's exactly what I needed to be reminded of… maybe you do too.
"But this is only a simple thing for the LORD"
2 Kings 3:18 (NLT)
As you read on in the story, the very next day, water came flowing from the direction of Edom and filled the land — enough for the army, the animals, and, as it turns out, enough to fool the Moabites into a battle they'd lose.
A valley full of water with no rain and no wind… absolutely impossible by every human measure, but not to be missed — SIMPLE FOR GOD!
As I sat with this story, the question I was confronted with was this…
WHAT AM I CURRENTLY DECLARING… ‘IT'S TOO DIFFICULT’?
I don't want to make too big a presumption here, but I'm guessing we might all have a place where we are currently thinking to ourselves… IT'S TOO DIFFICULT.
Think back to the list above — the list of things we just don’t think will ever change. I’m not sure which one of those resonated most with you, but if you would, take a moment and simply ask the LORD…
“GOD, IS THIS TOO DIFFICULT FOR YOU?”
I think if we're honest… and let’s be honest with ourselves, I think we already know the answer —IT'S NOT TOO DIFFICULT FOR HIM.
The addiction.
The marriage.
The prodigal son or daughter.
The bills.
The diagnosis.
The broken friendship.
The forgiveness you can't seem to find.
The fog you can't see through.
The faith that's running thin.
Just so you know… none of it requires wind or rain.
Whatever ‘it’ is – it just requires HIM!
So today, don't just name what's difficult — please hand it over to Him.
No need to try and manage it.
No need to carry it any longer.
And no need to believe this is yours alone to fix.
Together, let’s GIVE IT to the One who fills dry valleys with water out of nowhere.
Whatever you’re currently calling impossible, please remember…
It’s only a SIMPLE THING FOR THE LORD.
