Bitter Waters and Friends (Part 1)

Exodus 15:22-24 "So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur;  and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore the  name  of  it was called Marah.  And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?"

One of the greatest needs when traveling through a wilderness for anyone is water, and in this Biblical account, the Israelites faced a major problem because they had none. The waters they came to were bitter and unfit to drink. So how did the Israelites deal with this challenge?  Instead of looking to God to meet their need, they began to murmur against Moses and demanded, "What are we going to drink?" 

You will  also encounter "bitter waters" along your journey in life.  The term "bitter waters" can be used to represent the difficulties that come into your life through others around you, the circumstances of life, Satanic attacks on your ministry, or perhaps your own transgressions.  Whatever the source of your "bitter waters", the solution is not to grumble and complain against God. I must confess I had allowed bitterness against former members and ministers move into my heart. Believe me, bitter water sure doesn't taste good.

The Bible says in Exodus 15:25 that Moses turned to God and "...cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet..."

There is a powerful message in this symbolic act of casting a tree into the water.  In Isaiah 11:1-3 we read...

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of His roots;  And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, and the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;  And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord;  and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears."

When you stand on the banks of the "bitter waters" of negative circumstances, you must respond as Moses did.  You must cast in the Branch.  The Lord Jesus Christ is that spiritual Branch which must be cast into the circumstances of your life.  He is represented by the tree on the bank. I preached this all of my ministry, but now I'm having to live it more than I every thought I would.

God does not lead you to bitter waters to drink of them. He allows them for the same purpose He did in Israel's experience.  He permits difficult circumstances to prove you, to see whether you will drink of the bitterness and die spiritually or allow God to sweeten your bitter waters through the Branch of the Lord Jesus. I am learning that if I drink from the bitter waters it will sour me spiritually and make me friends with misery and denial. Let God make your heart sweet again and remove the bitter waters from your soul.