Today’s Reading: Exodus 15:22 – 17:7; Psalm 114

God displayed His mighty power in a big way for the Israelites when He parted the Red Sea and saved them from the Egyptians. They went from a life of slavery and harsh treatment to the beauty of freedom with the knowledge that God was watching over them. Even with this magnificent evidence of God’s provision, it only took the Israelites three days before they began to moan and complain.

HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE AND WHAT HE STILL WANTS TO DO FOR US.

For he divided the sea and led them through,
making the water stand up like walls!
In the daytime he led them by a cloud,
and all night by a pillar of fire.
He split open the rocks in the wilderness
to give them water, as from a gushing spring.
He made streams pour from the rock,
making the waters flow down like a river!
Yet they kept on sinning against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
demanding the foods they craved. – Psalm 78:13-18

After a 3-day journey through the desert without water, the Israelites arrived at the oasis of Marah. But their excitement over the discovery of water was short-lived when they found the water to be too bitter to drink. Not unlike the water, bitterness settled into the attitudes of God’s people and they began to complain. God showed Moses a piece of wood to throw into the water, making the water good to drink. He put before them a standard to test their faithfulness.

“If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” – Exodus 15:26

I AM THE LORD WHO HEALS YOU.

God wants us to trust Him in the biggest battles we are facing, but also in the smallest moments of need. If God can release the waters to rush over our enemies, He can cure the bitter taste life is leaving in our mouth. He is the Lord who heals and the Lord who provides, but He also calls us to listen and obey.

After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water. – Exodus 15:27

Not only did the Lord heal the waters, he brought them to an area I would describe as paradise to rest for a time. But this was more of a pitstop than a vacation, and they were soon back on the road. After a month of traveling through the wilderness, the Israelites started complaining that they were hungry. They began to look back and wish for their old life and the pleasures they experienced in Egypt. The Lord heard their complaints and laid out His plan for provision and another standard to test their faithfulness.

Each evening, God would provide quail for His people to eat but He commanded them not to save any of the leftovers but to instead trust Him for what they would need tomorrow. Each morning as the dew lifted, the ground would be covered with manna for the people to gather. The Lord again commanded them not to save any leftovers, but to trust Him for what they would need in the future.

I PROVIDED FOR YOU YESTERDAY,
I AM PROVIDING FOR YOU TODAY AND
I WILL PROVIDE FOR YOU TOMORROW.

Exodus 17 tells of another time when God came through for His people. “Give us water to drink!” Their complaining quickly turned to demanding, and Moses cried out to the Lord. God responded by equipping Moses with the leadership needed to help God’s people, because that’s what God does.

The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on. – Exodus 17:5-6

I WILL STAND BEFORE YOU ON THE ROCK.

I love how God made His presence known to Moses. He did not just give him instructions to follow, He was right there with Moses during this big moment of faith. The people had been saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?” (17:7) God answered this question with an action — with both provision and presence.

Lord, we praise you for being the God who so faithfully provides for us in time of need. Thank you for the reminder that you are the God who heals our bitterness and the God who quenches our thirst. Give us ears to listen to your voice as you lead us through the challenges of life; may we never question your presence. Give us the faith needed to trust you during the biggest battles and the smallest challenges. Amen.

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob.
He turned the rock into a pool of water;
yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock. – Psalm 114:7-8