Exodus 15: Bitter Sweet

Exodus 15:22-26 

So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

3 days earlier the children of Israel had seen God destroy their enemies and move the Red Sea just for them. The greatest miracle they'd ever seen! Now they were in the wilderness wondering if they'd done the right thing. It was hot, empty, and dry. The thought of turning around and going back seemed like a good plan in their heads. They began murmuring and Moses started crying out to God. I'm glad God hears us when we're murmuring and when we're crying out to him for help. For some reason God lead Moses to a tree in Marah..there the waters were bitter. Still nothing to drink, BUT God had a plan. Moses had to cast something into that bitter water. It doesn't say what it was..but something was cast and that casting allowed those waters to be changed from bitter to sweet. 

I've been there. Marah..that dry, bitter place, not at all what I wanted or prayed for.  I've wondered why and what God is doing..I've even thought at times he wasn't doing anything at all. I'm so glad I can cast my burden, my cares, my fears, and worries on him. No matter how much I cast He is more than able to turn the bitterness into sweetness. Oh taste and see that the Lord is GOOD. In the wilderness God was still good. When the waters weren't fit to drink God was still good. It was in that bitter place that he made them better! He made a promise to them, he proved them, he showed his power to them once again! There in that bitter place is where they learned who Jehovah Rapha is..the Lord who heals. Sometimes we need reminding that He is still able no matter what the problem is. All they had to do was learn to trust Him. He was trying their faith and longing for them to just obey each step of the way. 

"Does Marah deserve to be talked about four times as much as Elim? Perhaps it does. Per- haps there is four times as much fruit to be obtained from the bitter waters of Marah than from the 12 springs of water, and 70 palm trees at Elim."- Charles Spurgeon  I love this quote from Spurgeon. Why do we only seem to remember the hard times, the bitter places, the broken times. "I've had more gains than losses, I've known more joy than pain, no other way to say it than to say, Gods been good in my life.." Elim was beautiful and easy but God did no miracles there. Elim is a placet of rest and shelter. Elim wasn't a bitter place but Marah was a better place because of the casting into the water. God changed them in Marah.