BITTER WATERS

Exodus 15

"The LORD is my strength ..."

This week has been a bit stressful for me emotionally.  Some of it is internal things I am dealing with and some are outward stressors (school about to start, extra responsibilities, meetings, bills, etc.).

I cannot relate to the whole dancing and singing thing right now, but I can grab ahold of the verse "The LORD is my strength!" 

The people just finished seeing the miracle of the Red Sea and now were facing their first test of finding water in the wilderness.  Once they found water it was bitter, not sweet.  Webster says that a bitter person is one who is angry, sullen or sour.  I can say that I have felt some of these feelings this week, especially the sullen feelings, feeling gloomy and sometimes grumpy. 

I am being pretty transparent here.  I'm not perfect by any means and I too have bad days or days when I feel bad.  I want to be cheery and all smiles, but it isn't always like that.  The common way to approach a difficulty or stress in our life is the same way that the Israelites approached their stress, to be grumpy, to cry out and complain.

What was the LORD's response to the bitter waters?  The LORD showed Moses a tree and he threw it into the waters and the waters became sweet and there the LORD declared Himself to be Jehovah-Rapha, the LORD your healer.

The faith of Israel, or our own faith might fail, and instead of trusting the Lord for the supply of our need, we give way to murmuring; nevertheless, He came to their relief.  The “tree” Moses saw can speak of the cross of Christ: “Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the Tree” (1 Peter 2:24), “The cross of Christ is that which makes what is naturally bitter sweet to us.

(a sweet cross ;)

 
Surely in the light of Calvary, the "tree makes a difference," the bitter problems of life can become sweet. Exodus 15:26 gives us the revelation of the name. God says in the last part of the verse,

"... I the Lord Am Your Healer."

Literally, I am Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord Who makes bitter things sweet.

The name Jehovah-Rapha is a name that speaks to us and our need today. We live in a stressful world and society. Every day new problems confront us and we bend under the load of seemingly unsolvable problems, but we must remember that God lives in eternity, and we in time. We are often in a hurry. God is never in a hurry. The bitterness in our life will someday be made sweet. We have that promise.

My question to ponder today is, what difference is Jehovah-Rapha going to make in your life right now?  Can you turn your mourning or grumpiness into dancing like Miriam?  How are you going to rely on His strength today when all the stressors seem to be loading you down?  Will you give way to murmuring and complaining or rest in the sweetness of the cross and know that this world is not our home and these stressors today will be gone before we can remember what they are.

LORD, please cast your Tree into the bitter waters around me and make my life sweet.  Make my words sweet and my attitude sweeter.  Thank you LORD for being a healer and strength to my life.  Remind me of these truths often today.  In Your MIGHTY HEALING NAME I pray, Amen & Amen!



Blessings Abundant,