Two Ways To Respond In Troubled Times
BRD REFLECTIONS:
(Ryan Lim, CiC Facilitator)
READ:
Exodus 15 and Psalm 62
The verses that called out to me were:
Exodus 15
- v19: For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
- v22-24: So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 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. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
- v25: 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.
Psalm 62
- v4: They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah
- v8: Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
OBSERVE:
Exodus 15 describes what happened after the Red Sea crossing. Moses and the children of Israel were singing about how wonderful God was for saving them. Yet, just three days later they were complaining against Moses, who had led them out of slavery, about needing to drink water that was bitter. Not about the lack of water, but that the water did not taste good! Verse 25 shows God’s response to these ungrateful people: He made the water sweet for them.
After three days without water, I would have thought they would be grateful to find drinking water. Yet the first thing they did was complain that the water was bitter. Did they not just praise and thank God three days ago for saving their lives? What a change in their hearts. Yet God’s response was not to condemn but to give them sweet-tasting water.
Interestingly, they did not ask for sweet-tasting water but complained that the water was bitter. Why did they not go to God for help? They had just witnessed His power and grace. Were they ever truly grateful? Did they ever truly trust God? It sounds like Psalm 62:4 in which they blessed with their mouth but cursed inwardly.
APPLY:
While it is easy to judge the Israelites as being ungrateful and failing to remember how God had saved them, am I also like them? Quick to forget all the times God has blessed me? Also, what is my response to difficult situations? Is it to seek God’s help while trusting in Him or complain about why such difficulties befall me?
Unfortunately, there are times when it is the latter. In difficult times, I grumble and try to resolve the problem myself when all the time I could have just brought it to God. It would be much easier to cast my burdens on Him and seek Him to guide me through them. He is a good, good Father. He will provide me with what I need to overcome all things.
As I reread the verses, it dawned on me how this would have been a great demonstration of their faith if theyhad responded differently. When they had found water after three days, they could have given thanks to God for the water. When they found it was bitter, they could have prayed for God to sweeten it. This would have been a great testimony of thanksgiving and seeking God’s help.
Psalm 62:8 sums it up nicely. “Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us”. This should be the way I respond in a difficult situation.
DO:
The next time I encounter a difficult situation, I must remember the times God saved and delivered me. I can trust in His goodness and pour out my heart to Him.
PRAY:
Heavenly Father, I give You thanks for all the times You have blessed me. Thank you for loving me so unreservedly even as I have done nothing to deserve it.
I pray O Lord that You will help me to have a grateful heart always; to remember Your love and Grace, especially when things are not going well for me. I pray that You will help me to look to You always, and to fix my eyes on Jesus in all my ways.
This I pray in Jesus’s most precious name. Amen.
