I love how God always has a solution! Previously we looked at this story from both a leader’s and follower’s perspective. Now, let’s look at the next part of this incredible story.

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink…
Exodus 15:22-25a (NLT)

I find it interesting that when the children of Israel realized that the water was bitter, they named that place Marah, which means “bitter”. Their words spoke with natural understanding. In spite of having just witnessed some pretty amazing miracles and supernatural events, they saw their first negative situation on the other side of the Red Sea with natural eyes only. Did they forget that the same miracle working God who provided a way out of Egypt was still with them? Bitter water is nothing for the Lord! In fact, His answer was swift and it worked.

It was there, in an oasis of bitterness, that the Lord gave the remedy when Moses cried out to him – wood. He was to throw a piece of wood in the water. That’s our God! Using an everyday item to perform a miracle!

Our God is waiting for you, at your own oasis of bitterness, to cry out to Him so that He can work a miracle.

Don’t allow a bitter tasting season in your life to make your heart bitter. Don’t see your natural circumstances only with natural eyes. See in the eyes of the spirit, and ask God to show you what you can’t see.

What bitter situations are you facing today? Are you responding out of bitterness? Or are you allowing the power of the old rugged, wooden cross, to penetrate into the bitter waters that surround you, bringing refreshing? Only God can cause the bitter places you are in to be transformed to a source of refreshing!

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