By Pastor Brian K. Brown, St. Mark MBC
Exodus 15:23-26
Starting over can be painful, sorrowful, and challenging but if we stay with it, it will bring us to God’s expected end. Israel had praised God through their journey to a place called Marah. When they got there, weary, and thirsty, they couldn’t drink the water because it was bitter. Bitterness is our emotional conscience brought about by a failed expectation when we harbor on the disappointing factors. For us, are we finding ourselves in bitter places as a result of the difficulties that come in life?
Bitterness contaminates all we are and do and our start over becomes a challenge. What’s needed to end the bitterness to make our lives better as God did for Israel at the bitter waters of Marah? Pastor Brown gave three points for consideration. The first, from verses 23 and 24, we need positivity to work with. We cannot continue to focus on the negatives in our lives, we need positivity and people who give positivity to our lives. The Israelites reaction to the bitter water was negativity, but Moses did not address the negative spirit but turned to a positive source, God. As the people complained to Moses, he didn’t address their complaints he talked to God for the positivity needed in their situation. God will show us the positive in every negative if we focus on him.
The second point from verse 25, we need purification to work in. We need something from the outside to penetrate the bitterness so the bitter can be turned to sweet. God pointed out a tree to Moses to throw into the water at Marah that would turn the bitter water sweet. God didn’t change the water, he put something in the water that made it drinkable. The purification came through a tree. In our bitterness, we need to put love into the situation and let God come in. He can turn our bitterness into what we need and set us free from the bitterness.
The last point from verses 25 and 26, we need a persistent practice to work out, something we do every day. God said to Israel trust him at all times and do what is right in his sight, and if you give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes then God said he would put none of the diseases on Israel he brought upon the Egyptians. God says to us if we put into practice trusting him persistently each day, all day he will take our bitter moments and make them sweet. While we will go through situation as we abide in God the situations don’t have to control us. As we obey God and let him lead us, he will make us stronger, wiser, better, and not bitter.
May God continue to bless and keep you. Please join our live stream service on YouTube @ St Mark MBC each Sunday @ 10:20 and bible study on Wednesdays @ 7:00 p.m.
