God provides water

Exodus 15:22-27;17:1-7 (New International Version)

25Then 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. 26He 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 theLord, who heals you.”

27Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.17 1The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

3But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

4Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the place Massah  and Meribah  because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Marah, Massah, and the Meribah of life

When God had destroyed their enemies the Israelites were happy, they celebrated  by singing and dancing. When they were led through a desert soon they forgot the Lord who had split the sea for them to make a way. When they had found the water at Marah to be bitter, they started murmuring. God had showed Moses a tree that turned bitter waters into sweet waters.The Israelites had a wrong attitude of grumblings instead of praising God for His help. The place of testing, Massah and  the place of arguing, Meribah should become the place of trusting and praising in our lives. Shall we change our attitude today?