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.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+16.1-15

Scripture

As Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out to the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the Lord in the cloud.

Observation

The community of Israel journeys into the wilderness of Sin. The people begin to complain against Moses and Aaron bringing them into the wilderness to starve. They make the ridiculous complaint that in Egypt they always had enough and sat around eating all day.

The Lord promises Moses that He will provide meat every evening and bread each morning. So each evening vast numbers of quails fly into the camp, and each morning a flaky substance which they call manna appears on the ground.

Application

Amidst the complaining and grizzling of the people in the wilderness, they could see the glory of God in the cloud.

Their fear and unbelief prevented them trusting the God who was gloriously present with them, shining from the cloud at the edge of the camp.

The issue was not that they doubted God’s presence- He was clearly visible to them. Nor was the issue that God was able to provide for them- they had experienced some awesome miracles in the previous few weeks.

The issue was this. Did God care enough to provide for their needs? Could they trust the Lord to bring them through?

This issue of the Lord’s love and our trust in Him is at the heart of all doubt, and indeed of all sin.

We don’t have the cloud of glory “out there.” We have the Holy Spirit in us, a far greater blessing than the children of Israel experienced.

This same question remains for us as we pass through our own wilderness experiences. Can I trust God in this wilderness?

Prayer

Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief. Help me to trust you in the wilderness times even more than in the good times. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+14.19-31

Scripture

And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Observation

The Israelites are fleeing the Egyptians and have arrived at the Red Sea. The angel of the Lord and the cloud of glory move from the front of the Israelites to behind them, between the Israelites and the Egyptians. Through the night the cloud brings darkness to the Egyptians and light to the Israelites.

At the Lord’s command Moses stretches his staff over the sea, and the Lord sends a strong wind to divide the waters. The people of Israel go through the sea on dry land with the waters gathered up on either side of them.

The Egyptians pursue the Israelites, but the Lord throws confusion over them. The wheels of their chariots fall off. The Lord again tells Moses to stretch out his staff over the water, and it collapses back on itself drowning the Egyptian army.

In response to this display of power, the Israelites put their trust in the Lord and Moses.

Application

This is an awesome miracle, a demonstration of the power of God, and it brought to the people of God the ability to trust Him.

There seemed to be no way, but God opened a way. The future of the people seemed closed up, but God provided a new way, a new hope, a new future.

This display caused the people to put their trust in the Lord– for a few days .Later they would become hungry, and their praise would turn to grumbling.

Spiritual maturity comes when we learn to trust God in the tough times as well as in the excitement of miracles. Do I still trust Him when my prayers seem to go unanswered, or when enemies triumph at my expense?

I must trust the Lord in every circumstance.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to trust you in the good times and also in the tough times. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3.1-15

Scripture

Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Observation

Moses is out in the wilderness, tending his father-in-law’s sheep. He comes across a burning bush from which the Lord speaks to him.

The Lord tells Moses that He has seen the misery of His people and is going to set them free and take them to their own land. Moses is to go to Pharaoh and set God’s people free.

Moses then asks the question, “Who are you?” and the Lord says, “I am who I am. This is my covenant name for ever.”

Application

Moses turns aside to see a sign from God and he has a life-changing encounter with Him. The Lord says “This ground is holy.”

That particular patch of ground was holy because God’s presence was there in that moment. It hadn’t been holy the hour before, and as far as we know, it wasn’t holy after the meeting between Moses and Yahweh.

God’s presence makes all the difference to a place. In that moment of encounter, that place is sanctified, set apart for God.

We don’t have “burning bush” moments every day. But we do have the opportunity for God encounters. Another shepherd might have been too intent on watching his sheep, or, in our day and age, his facebook feed. But Moses took time to step away from his path to go and look and listen to God.

God moments and God encounters are waiting for us every day if only we will stop, look and listen.

We don’t need a flaming bush in the wilderness. God is with us everywhere we go.

Prayer

Lord, what special moment do you have for me today? Help me to listen to your voice among the clamour of my life. Amen.