Tuesday Thought – July 28, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

The book of Exodus is an amazing story of God’s patience with a stubborn people.

Having escaped from Egypt, the people of Israel came to a place called Marah and they found the water there undrinkable. “When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’” (Exodus 15:23-24)

They had watched God do great miracles to set them free in Egypt, but they still didn’t understand how much He cared about them and they did not trust that He would provide for them. They grumbled and complained!

Still God answered, “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 sweet.” (Exodus 15:25)

They moved on into the Desert of Sin and this time the people grumbled because they had no food. “In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’” (Exodus 16:2-3)

Though the people grumbled and complained, still God provided for their needs. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.’” (Exodus 16:4-5)

The people grumbled and God provided water.

The people grumbled and God provided food.

What amazing patience God demonstrated. What amazing grace and love.

He shows the same characteristics to us, despite our grumbling and complaining.

His, by Grace, Steve