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Scripture:   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? Ex 15:23, 24

They could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter...

We find here that the children of Israel have just been saved AGAIN by God.  Not only were they miraculously taken cross the Red Sea, but their enemy was destroyed.  In Chapter 14, Israel faced 2 terrible situations.  At the bank of the Red Sea they thought their lives were going to end.  If they tried to swim across the Sea they might drown, and if they turned back they would face sure death because Pharaoh’s army was coming for them.  So they had the Red Sea in front of them, mountains on each side of them and Pharaoh behind them.  Have you EVER felt like you were in the middle of a mess with no way out? Have you felt like four walls of trouble were caving in on you?  Every where you turn there seems to be no solution, but plenty of troubles.  Well, this is the perfect place for God to be glorified.  Moses told the Children of Israel to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.  In other words, don’t do anything because God is getting ready to do something.  Don’t panic right now because God is going to 'kill 2 birds with one stone.'  He told them, “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”  Not only that but their enemy that was chasing today, they would NEVER see them again.  WHEW!!  That deserves a praise break right there.  I wish I could hear God tell me THAT!!!!!  Okay, so God does what He said and delivers them so that they can travel across the Red Sea on dry ground, because He doesn’t want them slowed down with mud.  (That is another message in and of itself) 

So now in verse 1 of chapter 15, they were singing and praising God for his power, for His salvation.  They were in complete “celebration” mode.  As well they should be and they were still moving forward to their promise.  They travel 3 days in “praise” mode without the thought of the lack of water.  However, when they come to a body of water at Marah, the waters are bitter.  They had traveled 3 days without water with no complainants, but when they got to the water and it was BITTER, the complaint sessions started.    Their complaint wasn’t that there was NO water, but that they found BITTER water.  It is funny how the greatest happiness and optimism can soon be turned into murmuring and complaining.   I believe there are times that God will lead us on a path of blessings (righteousness) but it just might be in the valley of the shadow of death and things will surface to make it seems like the blessings have turned into a curse.  But just like God led Moses to a tree and told him to use it to sweeten the waters, He is going to lead us to something or someone to make our bitter waters sweet.  Some theologians say it was a shrub in the form of a flower; others, the berries of a bush found growing around all brackish fountains. However, neither of these shrubs is known to possess such natural virtues.  It is far more likely that God miraculously endowed some tree with the property of purifying the bitter to sweet -- a tree was employed as the means, but the sweetening was not dependent upon nature or quality of the tree, but the power of God.  

And so after the waters were sweetened the bibles says, “There He made for them a statute and an ordinance and there He proved them.  What God expected from them was OBEDIENCE.  Many times our level of obedience diminishes because we have encountered bitter waters.  We are troubled on every side and feeling in despair so we are tempted to complain, or murmur or whine, “WHAT IS GOD DOING THIS TO ME.”  But even during our bitter water encounters, God is still expecting us to follow His Word and plan even when things seem to be going down hill.  He is establishing us for HIS purpose and according to His way; not ours. 

After the miraculous water change, God then leads them to Elim where there were TWELVE wells of water with an oasis of trees and refuge.  This shows that though God may, for a time, order His people to encamp by the bitter waters of Marah, yet that isn’t where they are to remain.  We must know that our condition is changeable or variable but God love and power are constant.  Our condition in life can go from better to worse and from worse to better in a heart beat, but if our faith is God we have this confidence that He will lead us to the place of our promise. 

Be Blessed!!!

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You shall pass over the Jordan…

This was a declaration that God made through Joshua right before they were to go into the Promised Land they had waited SO long to enter into.  Most of the people that Joshua was talking to only knew the wilderness because all of the people over the age of 20, excluding Joshua and Caleb died in the wilderness.  God raised up Moses to deliver His people.  God miraculously delivered them out of the hands of the oppressor that never really want his slaves to leave, only the wanted the bad things that were happening to his people to be halted.  After the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt, Pharaoh’s crazy army decided to follow orders and follow them with the purpose of recapturing them.  But if I was a member of that army and had seen all the plagues and the Red Sea part, I would have turned around and ran the other direction to avoid any further contact with them.  But they didn’t and it resulted in their death. 

So now God had gotten them out of Egypt but had a hard time getting Egypt out of them.  The mentally of living beneath their privilege had always been a part of them and changing addresses wasn’t going to change anything, no matter how promising the future looked.  I few nights ago I was “channel surfing” and decided to watch a reality show about a star that had been raised in poverty and came up the hard way.  However, through many entertainment opportunities, she and her family was now living a “wonderful life”.  As I watch this particular episode I saw big beautiful houses, fine cars and expensive shopping sprees.  However, I also witnessed via the television many fights among family members, I saw people screaming and yelling in the middle of their shopping spree in a crowded mall.  I then realized that this star had received money, which changed many aspects of their life but the money, the fame and fortune hadn’t changed their mentally.  Okay, enough of that now back to the Children of Israel.  Everyone could have been enjoying Canaan in under a month, but because of doubt and unbelief most of them died in the wilderness.  WHAT WAS THEIR PROBLEM????  The same problem we have today.  They were stuck.  They had just lost their wonderful leader and things couldn’t have been going more wrong because now they were up against another body of water, but this time they didn’t have the leader that had gotten them over the Red Sea.  However, they did have the same God.  They could have decided to just stay there because they were CLOSE to the promise, but who really wants to SEE the promise but never experience it.  They had to make a decision to keep moving even though things had changed, God hadn’t.

Maybe living the “little dab will do you” sort of life is okay for you, but if you don’t want anything for your life, that is okay.  However, I want more.  I NEED more.  I can’t stop and camp out in the wilderness not after coming so far from where I was or fighting the enemies I had to fight.  I wasn’t designed to life outside in the elements.   Actually I don’t like camping in the natural sense.  I don’t like driving to a camp site, getting out of my cool or warm car, depending on the time of year to “brave it” in the wild.  If I don’t have live by “nature” I won’t.  In the natural, I don’t want a tent I want some walls.  And in the spirit, I didn’t come out of Egypt to live in the wilderness for the rest of my life.  Some of us are not built to be campers, we are movers and shakers.  I want to take some territories, tear down some walled cities.  I have had enough with being without; I want the land of milk and honey.  Why would I suffer lack if I don’t have too?  God won’t take you where you don’t want to go.  He is not a terrorist.  God will take those who want to go!  Crossers chose movement over monument.  I want to do something that makes a difference; it isn’t about great accolades but what is Godly successful. I have come to the understanding that convenience will not get you the will of God; commitment will.  You don’t luck up on God’s blessing, it is a decision that you have to make up in your mind to do whatever God wants and desire so that you can have it. So pack up your camping equipment and move to the city. 

Be Blessed!

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Scripture:          And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  Gal 6:9

LET US NOT BE WEARY!!

I can remember passionate preachers warning that one day believers might be challenged to deny our faith or give up their bibles at gun point. My overactive imagination convinced me that the threat of persecution and imprisonment for Christians was only days or months away. As a young child, I was terrified!!!! I wondered which of the shouting saints I saw would deny the Lord first when faced with the threat of torture or death.  However, over time I’ve come to think that there is a far greater threat for Christians, then the threat of denial under duress. From the fiery evangelist to the passionate prayer warrior to the faithful saint, believers of all temperaments and callings face the faith dulling, life sapping threat of growing weary in well doing.  For the weary Christian, life becomes a repetition of disappointments and frustrated desires. There’s nothing new happening any more. Every day is just another day of the same, so we become weary.  When we grow weary in well doing, we lose confidence that the Spirit will supply whatever it is that we need.

I know many preachers, pastors; teachers and evangelists (including myself) began the year off by teaching this year as the year of new beginnings. However, there are many of us who are still struggling and going through trying to figure out what happened to our new beginning. We have quoted all the proper cliché’s. ‘You know God is good all the time and all the time God is good or you are too blessed to be stressed.’ Yet, when we look around our circumstances and situations look the same. The people look the same. Our life is still in chaos, but the sermons keep coming. Matter of fact the only thing that isn't coming right now is the change we have been waiting on.  HEY!!! I understand because I’ve been there too and probably will be there again.  In fact, I recently asked God to give me a revelation on how to NOT be weary when weariness is sneaking up on me.  Well He took me to Ecclesiastes 3 which tells us that there is a time and a season for every thing. The word season means appointed time. Time actually means an occurrence or occasion. It goes on to talk about the time to bring forth (to be born). Then it talks about a time to die (a time to put to death or kill). The situations listed in Ecclesiastes 3 actually take place in every season of our life. We all want to give birth but no one wants to die. I am not talking about your natural death but I am talking about that death in the spirit that allows you to have a closer relationship with God. The death that empties out your spiritual vessels, so God can pour out the blessings we won't have room to receive. The death that takes place when He moves friends, relationships, jobs, businesses, homes, money, and everything in between so we can rely on Him.

The Amplified Bible translation of this scripture says don't faint or get tired in preparing for that appointed/personal or private time that God has set aside just for you. It implies we will reap the harvest if we just keep pushing. Don't get exhausted or become weak. The enemy’s job is to keep us distracted and to make us weak.  You must understand that your season may not be the same as my season. Don't measure your success in God based on the lives of others. Ask God to open the eyes of your understanding and allow you to run the race with blinders on. Don't look to you left or your right, but stay focused on Him. Your victory is right around the corner. So yes, I know the year of new beginnings is almost over. Hear me clearly God is working to complete what He started in you. He is not even asking you to take a step just trust him enough to lift your foot.  Make a choice that no matter what the situation looks like God has a plan for you. Stop releasing the cliché’s and release the Word of God.  His Word tells us that He has thoughts of peace and not of evil to bring us to an expected end.  Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Look for a great ending to your new beginnings.

Be Blessed!!

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