February 2 - Bitter Life Turned Sweet
Life is not easy, even after we have turned to Christ as our Savior. The enemy wants us to go back to Egypt, to our former way of life. Despite of all the celebrations, singing and dancing, the Israelites soon entered the wilderness of Shur where there was no water, no necessities for the sustenance of life. This is the way that our enemy works, he comes to steal, kill and destroy, creating depravations in our lives so that we would go back to Egypt and abandon our faith.
Depravation is common in the wilderness, everything is scarce and hard to come by. The enemy is stealing our possessions, taking away our health, destroying our relationships, bringing more and more hurts so we react in bitterness and anguish of heart. Consequently, many would try to find satisfaction outside of God, grabbing whatever the world has to offer to fill the holes in their lives. The water of Marah seemed to be the answer, but when they tried to drink it, it was too bitter. This is indicative of all answers from the world, they looked good but taste awful. There is no good thing apart from God.
The people grumbled against Moses, their leader. This is a sure symptom of human depravation: complaining and grumbling to those in leadership. Our complaining and dissatisfaction only show one thing: we are in a state of depravation and we are looking for relief. It is common to see grumbling in our communities, nations and churches. We blame the government, the pastors and the elected leaders for our demise and troubles.
As a leader, Moses knew that the answer could not have come from him. He did the only logical thing: he cried out to the Lord in prayer. Healing came through a revelation of God about a log for him to throw into the bitter water of Marah. The water was turned into sweet, satisfying the need of the people. The log is God’s way of healing, foreshadowing the cross of Jesus Christ on which He bore the curses of the law, turning bitter lives into sweet. Those who are hung on a tree are cursed and Jesus becomes the cursed One for us (Galatians 3:13).
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule for them to listen to His voice and do what is right in His eyes, to keep His commandments and statutes. That way, the people might enjoy divine health and the Lord would not put on them the diseases that He put on the Egyptians. Then the Lord revealed to them His name: “I am the Lord, your Healer.”
Are you experiencing depravation in your life now? Are there things that you are looking for in the world? Bring your needs to your Healer now.
Ps 18:37-50 Exo 15:19-17:7 Matt 22:1-33 Prov 6:20-26