reflections

Oh the things that I could go into in this post! However, this morning I'm choosing to keep it simple.  Was reading and studying in Exodus 15:22-27, this morning. Marah...bitter waters.

I, over my lifetime, have gravitated to drinking less sodas and more water.  I tend to not want to drink water that comes straight from the tap because it often has a strange or bitter taste as compared to the water that is filtered or comes already bottled.  Here the Israelites found themselves at Marah trying to drink water that they likely spit out before it was even in their mouths good.  I found a couple of things extremely interesting. First, why were they at Marah to begin with?  Did all their wanderings in the desert just land them there?  The answer was found in Exodus 13:21-22.  It was no accident that God's children were at Marah.  The Lord had provided a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day to lead them.  And if He provided it, then He was leading them.  When we come to times or places in our lives where bitterness could easily take the place of joy we must remember we've been led there for a reason.  The journey was purposeful and the destination planned - though not by man's design but by God's sovereign plan.  What will our reaction be to the times of bitterness and disappointment in our lives? Will it be like that of Moses?  Will we cry out to our God to turn our bitter situations into ones of sweetness or will we allow the bitterness to be consumed and turn us away from our God?  God desires to use those times to reveal His glory to us and through us.  Ever heard the saying that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink?  Well, we're much like that.  God directs our paths but how we respond to God is up to us.

I said there were a couple of things so here's the second.  Healing occurred at Marah.  Ever been at a place in life where you thought everything was fine?  Things appear to be as they should on the outside but inside there was something just not right?  It was there the Great Physician prescribed the only medicine His children needed - obedience to Him.  Once again it goes back to our response to God.  He promised healing - healing from the diseases that plagued those they knew as their captures, friends and neighbors - healing that could only come as a result of their heartfelt obedience to God's commands and decrees.  Healing that was a result of right actions in relation to God.  Once again, our healing depends on our response to God.

So, our response...do we obey as dearly loved children imitating Christ (Ephesians 5:1-2) or do we follow an outward routine appearing to obey but have defiance in our hearts?  The choice is ours.  Today, through ALL my circumstances, I'm choosing to receive the sweetness that comes through my crying out to God and allow Him to heal the places that I may not even know need it!  Praise be to Jehovah-rapha, my God and my Healer!