God Turns the Bitter Into Sweet…and the Cross Stands In Between

Have you ever felt forgotten in your wilderness? I bet the Israelites felt the same way after coming out of Egypt. We all face bitter situations in this life. We have disappointments and failures, but God never fails. The same God who leads us into times of testing is the same God who delivers us.

Exodus 15:22-26 NIV

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

God Always Has a Plan

The crisis you are going through is a classroom. The reason you go through a marah is God wants to see if you will trust Him even when things seem impossible. It must have felt like such a heavy blow when the Israelites finally found water in the desert, only to realize it was bitter, undrinkable. 

These were the same people who, just three days before, had seen the Red Sea parted and the Egyptian army totally annihilated! How short our memories are…

Many of us have been led to believe that since we are Christians, we should never go through hard times. We should never be tested or have to walk through a “wilderness”. However, God never promised us that this walk of faith would be easy. In fact, He promised us quite the opposite. Jesus said we would face trials, but I am so glad He lets us go through those things. It is in those times when I've felt His presence so near, upholding me and comforting me. If the Israelites had never faced a crisis, they would not have known how to cry out to God. They would have never known God could turn the bitter things sweet. 

“God is more concerned with your character

than He is about your comfort!”

- Pastor Jim

The Hebrew word marah comes from the root word for myrrh. Myrrh was a burial resin used for embalming. The three wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus in Bethlehem. This costly spice has always been a symbol of suffering. It gives off a beautiful fragrance, but is associated with death. It was Jesus’ bitter suffering that made a way for us to have the sweetness of eternal life! Just as Moses threw the tree into the water to make it sweet, so Jesus hung on the tree to take away the sting and bitterness of death. The cross takes this bitter life of sin and death and makes it sweet through the power of His blood. 

That is an incredible blessing, one that we can never repay or earn. It is a free gift from God because He loves us. But there is also responsibility that comes with being a follower of Jesus. God wants veterans not rookie Christians. Veterans are battle-tested, while rookies have no experience. Commanders never know what a rookie is going to do on a battlefield, because they have never been tested under fire. In the same way, we are tested in our faith—not because God enjoys seeing us go through hard things—but because He knows that when we are tested, it shows the validity of our faith. Trials make us grow up in the spirit! They bring us into maturity. 

God is raising up people who know how to stand under fire. They refuse to be offended when things don’t go their way. 

James 1:2-4 NIV

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

God never wastes anything. Even when you walk through trials, He can turn those things around for good. And not only for you, but to show others the sweetness of His redemptive power. What would happen if we took our eyes off of ourselves, and looked outward to see who we could bless, even when we feel like we are under fire? It is His kindness and goodness that brings others to Christ. Let’s shine His light, even when we feel like we’re walking through the wilderness. Trust Him. Press into His Presence and see what He will do.