Last weekend we looked at a story found in Exodus 15. The context is that Moses had just led the Israelites out of Egypt and they were miraculously on their way to the promised land. They had traveled for 3 days without water and finally came upon some water which they could not drink because it was bitter. Here's the story...
Exodus 15:23, "Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for
they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. (which is the Hebrew word for bitterness) 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”
God was trying to teach them some lessons from this experience that I think that we can learn from as well. Here they are:
1. NOTHING IS OVERLOOKED OR UNNOTICED BY GOD.
2. GOD CAN USE UNUSUAL MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES.
3. SOMETIMES GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE A VERY SHORT MEMORY.
4. GOD CAN TURN BITTER THINGS SWEET.
I ended the message by telling the story of MEPHIBOSHETH (which mean shameful thing). He was the forgotten grandson of King Saul who discovered that God can take all of the bitter tragedies from his life and somehow make it sweet. (read 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 9) What is it in your life today that may be causing you to become bitter? Don't ever forget that nothing goes unnoticed by God! Remember that He uses different means to accomplish His purposes and that He never forgets about His promises to you. He promises to take everything bitter in our lives and to make it sweet one day. Just like the Israelites and Mephibosheth, you can trust Him!
Exodus 15:23, "Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for
they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. (which is the Hebrew word for bitterness) 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”
God was trying to teach them some lessons from this experience that I think that we can learn from as well. Here they are:
1. NOTHING IS OVERLOOKED OR UNNOTICED BY GOD.
2. GOD CAN USE UNUSUAL MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES.
3. SOMETIMES GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE A VERY SHORT MEMORY.
4. GOD CAN TURN BITTER THINGS SWEET.
I ended the message by telling the story of MEPHIBOSHETH (which mean shameful thing). He was the forgotten grandson of King Saul who discovered that God can take all of the bitter tragedies from his life and somehow make it sweet. (read 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 9) What is it in your life today that may be causing you to become bitter? Don't ever forget that nothing goes unnoticed by God! Remember that He uses different means to accomplish His purposes and that He never forgets about His promises to you. He promises to take everything bitter in our lives and to make it sweet one day. Just like the Israelites and Mephibosheth, you can trust Him!