FROM BITTERNESS TO BLESSEDNESS

“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” – Exodus 15:25

GOD takes delight in transforming those who believe and their situations FROM BITTERNESS to BLESSEDNESS: “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” (Exo.15:25). Israel had known bitterness in Egypt: “And they made their lives BITTER with hard bondage….” (Exo.1:14). It had been four hundred years under bondage; four hundred years of losing their worship, praise life, prayer life, culture; dreams, and hopes. Now, Jehovah had just delivered them with His outstretched right Hand of Power, and they were praising His Majesty (v.20). But there was a sudden turn of events, an adverse atmosphere and negative situation set in!

Now, shortly after their miraculous Deliverance from four centuries of Egyptian bondage and slavery, and the emotional rush that their enemies were not only defeated, but destroyed, they were almost entering into ease. But this was not their destiny. Their destiny was the mountain of God. They needed to be shaken to move on to fresh victories! Like the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness prior to commencing His public ministry (Mt.4:1), Moses had to almost force the people to move into the wilderness: “So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur” (v.22a).

Suddenly, a hitherto excited and rejoicing multitude encountered scarcity, and attendant complaining set in: “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” (vv.22b-24a). Although the wilderness is a hostile environment, a very difficult place to pass through or stay, one would expect that a people who recently experienced God’s Miracle Working Power should be able to believe and endure. Alas, as their expectations turned into disappointment, their response was to begin to complain against Moses.

Beloved, how do we respond when things are not as we expected; when we started with great expectation only to find bitter experiences along the way? Do we allow bitter situations to make us bitter and ungrateful to God for past blessings? Do we complain when it seems God is delaying, doesn’t answer our prayers, or we don’t get what we want? Do we play the blame game, complain about other people, and murmur against leadership? That’s not God’s Way. Bitter experiences should make us BETTER, not BITTER! God wants us to grow up. He allows these experiences to strengthen our trust and commitment and prepare us for all He has prepared for us. We live in a generation that is weak in commitment; that stays committed – in marriage, friendship, or fellowship – only when things are going well. At the sign of adversity, people lose their commitment.

Beloved, no matter how severe the situation may be or how dire the dilemma, the Answer is right there in God all the time! We are often looking for solutions outside, but God has provided the Answer at Calvary. Moses picked the stick and threw it into the waters and the waters were made sweet. God used a Tree, which represents the Cross of Christ. Over two thousand years ago, our salvation, righteousness, holiness, healing, prosperity, fruitfulness, sweetness, and blessedness, were paid for on a Tree. Jesus Christ took the bitterness of Sin and set us free, making our lives sweet and blessed.

Finally, God made a covenant with Israel that if they’ll obey Him, He’ll put none of the Egyptian’s diseases upon them. That’s Jehovah-Rapha making a visible sign and demarcation between His people and the world. Then He sent them to Elim. A story that started in Marah of bitterness and scarcity concluded in Elim of sweetness and abundance: “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters” (v.27).