God Turns the Bitter Into Sweet-Part 2: The Answer to Your “Marah” Moment
In Exodus 15, the children of Israel had just witnessed one of the greatest miracles of all time: the parting of the Red Sea. Isn't it interesting that a test came right afterward? In this life, we either find ourselves going into a test, in the middle of a test, or getting ready to enter another test. Testing is how God proves our faith is genuine. As we talked about last week, God is looking for veteran Christians, not rookies. God wants to know what we’re made of.
When you come to your marah moment, will you choose to worship or complain? Will you choose faith or fear? Will you rest in the knowledge that His plans for you are good, or will you say, “I’m out!”
There’s a Right Way and a Wrong Way to Handle Marah Moments
This may go without saying, but there is a right and wrong way to handle moments of testing, moments when we are standing before bitter waters. The wrong way is obvious: murmuring, complaining, and even throwing up our hands and walking away from our faith.
There are two things we can do in marah moments that will help us through: prayer and trust. You have to find God first in the situation and find him fast. In Isaiah 55:6, we read that we should seek Him while He may be found. Do we run to God first when we are faced with trials and tests, or is He our last resort?
The problem that the Israelites faced was that everyone followed each other in choosing the wrong way. Don’t follow the crowd! While the people were looking at the problem, Moses was looking at the Problem Solver. Moses didn’t just give a polite request, he cried out to God in desperation for an answer to the bitter waters.
James 5:16
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Prayer is powerful. Moses turned to God in fervent prayer, not just a half-hearted request. He knew that God was leading them, and He was the only One who could change the situation. The Israelites had been without water for 3 days. They were desperate. God wanted to show them that He was their Source! Unfortunately, they did not pass this test.
It would be easy to point fingers and say where they went wrong, but how often do we do the same thing? We exhaust all of our human resources instead of going to the Source. When you go to Him first and fast, see how long your bitter moment lasts.
Don’t Panic
Moses didn’t panic. He just went to God. Panic says, “God isn’t in control and he has abandoned me.” Peace says, “I can trust him. He is my refuge and hope.”
Moses had a history with God and knew He would come through. You have to build a relationship with God before the crisis comes!
Isaiah 26:3 NLT
3 You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Walking through trials gives you a history—a foundation—of knowing God will come through. We may not be able to see what He is doing or how He is going to do it, just like Moses. But we can have a calm assurance that He will do it.
Stay Faithful
The children of Israel wanted to go back to Egypt where they were comfortable, even though they were in slavery. Why do we get comfortable in our slavery? We stay stuck in our marah moment instead of allowing God to lead us out. Are we going to stay faithful when God doesn’t show up the way we want him to, or are we going to walk away and remain bitter? The Israelites didn’t just endure a little bitter water in the wilderness. Eventually, they allowed that bitterness to infiltrate their heart and had to endure 40 years of wandering—never able to enjoy the Promised Land. They let a bitter moment become a defining characteristic of their entire lives and identity.
Sometimes we make the why more important than the Who. You stay stuck in the wilderness longer than God intended. The children of Israel were not supposed to wander for 40 years, it was only supposed to take a few weeks for them to reach their destination. Because of the complaining and murmuring, they forfeited their Promised Land.
Sometimes God just wants to see what His kids are made of. Do you trust Him? Faithfulness is tested in the fire. True faithfulness is proven when you are walking through a bitter season.
God Always Beings Something Sweet Just In Time
When God’s sweetness arrives, it brings peace that the world cannot rival or take away. God's sweetness specializes in the impossible. When you choose to trust in the Lord, even when you can’t see the outcome, your faith is built and you experience His goodness and faithfulness that would have never been revealed otherwise.
