Last week as I was preparing and studying for my blog, I was dealing with a personal disappointment. As I was walking through this disappointment with God; He reminded me how much He cares. He did this by having me read an Old Testament story of the Israelites in the wilderness. This message was so profound to me, that I wanted to share it here because I know that there are a lot of people that are dealing with disappointment. Disappointment in knowing that God could perform a miracle and hasn’t. Disappointment in the circumstance you are in. With that said, here is my original post rewritten with some fresh thoughts that God gave me since I originally wrote it last week. Please read Exodus 15:22-27.
Without repeating the story too much, I want to point out that the Israelites had traveled the wilderness for three days without coming to a source of water. Dehydration can cause weakness, extreme thirst, weak heart beat, racing heart, and an inability to think clearly. Picture back to the Israelites feeling some of these symptoms and coming up to water; picture and feel their desperation to have their thirst relieved. Can you imagine their relief and excitement when they saw the water at Marah? Then imagine as they dip their hands in the water and take the first taste to find out that it is undrinkable. It probably felt like a cruel joke. These people were in a great deal of discomfort, maybe even to the point of feeling sick and all they can find is bitter water; undrinkable water.
We have all had our taste of bitter water. For me, I have had a taste of bitter water recently when our house in Michigan (we relocated to New York) that has been for sale for over two years finally attracted someone’s attention. That person put an offer on our house that is now up for sale as a short sale; however, a few days later they pulled their offer. That left a bitter taste! It is hard to explain why after spending so much time praying about this that we would finally see the light of hope only to see it taken away. We have seen friends go through difficult situations as well and feeling like they finally saw an answer to prayer only to find out later that it wasn’t. That is bitter water.
But God is our healer. Notice in these verses that He didn’t lead them to new water, He healed the bitter water. He didn’t just heal the water with the wave of His hand, He gave them a tree to throw in the water. He brought them joy from their hopes that had been dashed to the ground. Think on this for a moment. Imagine how great their joy must have been when God healed the water and made it sweet. Perhaps their difficulty or anguish is what made their joy all the greater because their relief was all the greater. James 1:2-4 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way consider it an opportunity for great joy. For when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed you will be perfect and complete needing nothing.” It is so hard to grasp the idea of finding troubles an opportunity for great joy, but yet it is there in the Bible. Maybe the sweetening of the water is a direct answer to prayer, or maybe it is sweetened by the work God does in us through the difficulty.
I also want to share that as I prayed for God to sweeten my bitter water of disappointment, He showed me the tree to throw in. That tree was the cross. The cross where my Savior died for me. The cross that bears my sin and pain. God reminded me that my sweetened living water comes from the sacrifice that Christ made and His resurrection and victory over death. I took my disappointment a laid it at the foot of the cross and experienced peace – such sweet peace.
Do you need God to heal your heart? Do you need Him to sweeten the bitter water of pain and disappointment?
About Sharon
