Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17.1-7

Scripture

Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”

Observation

At the Lord’s command the people move from place to place, eventually stopping at Rephidim. There is no water, so the people demand that Moses do something.

Moses cries out to the Lord who orders him to take his staff and strike a rock at Mount Sinai. When Moses does this, water comes gushing out of the rock.

Application

When we are going through difficult times it can be easy to lose sight of God. The Israelites grumbled because they were thirsty. In a sense that is understandable. On the other hand, they were receiving food twice a day at the hand of the Lord. Why would the God who provided food this way not give them water also.

We can grumble and complain against God from a place of faith. It is OK to cry out to God when we don’t understand what is happening. We also need to recognise that Scripture tells us to rejoice always, even in suffering.

There comes a point when we may cross the line from faith to unbelief, from lament to testing. I think the point is where we start to doubt that God is with us.

The Israelites tested God by saying, “Is the Lord really here or not?” They had passed from doubting God’s goodness to doubting God’s presence, despite a pillar of fire that travelled with them.

In a time of grief or despair we might wonder why things happen the way they do. We might wonder where God is hiding in the mess we are living through.

We need to be careful, though, of the temptation to doubt that God is here with us. That is the place where our unbelief leads us away from Jesus.

Prayer

Lord it is easy to believe when every day we see prayers answered. I ask for grace to believe when prayers seem to be rejected and when all I see around me is dark. Please help me to stay focused on you. Amen.