Text: Exodus 15:22-27
I. Are you undergoing some sort of trial, testing, trouble, hard time?
1. With your marriage -
- In trouble?
- Spouse abusive?
- Uncaring spouse?
- Divorce?
2. With your family -
- Rebellious children?
- Unruly children?
- Run away child?
3. With your finances -
- Money problems?
- Creditors after you?
- More bills than money?
4. With your health -
- Illness?
- Just bad general health?
5. With the world -
- Co-workers?
- Life isn’t fair?
Life is filled with trials/testings, problems/troubles, and tough times/hardships. Things that leave a bitterness in our lives. If we aren’t careful we can become so bitter that we have a hard outlook on all of life.
Life deals a rough hand for most of us. But for the Christian, Jesus helps take the bitterness out of life. Please understand that He doesn’t take the problems out of life, just the bitterness out of the problems.
II. The Marah (trial) for the Israelites came just three days after their redemption. It had only been three days since God had miraculously saved them from the army of Egypt by drowning them in the Red Sea (14:27-30). Only been three days since they had sang hymns of praise for their salvation (15:1+). Now just three days into their new life comes a testing and problem.
Many of us are just like these Israelites. We find no problem in trusting Jesus as Savior, but you do have problems having faith that God will help you with your daily concerns. Remember how the Israelites in the wilderness had to learn to trust God, to take Him at His word. You and I have to learn the same lesson. How often do we wonder how God can take care of this or that problem?
None of us is capable of living in this complex world, but we have a heavenly Father who can supply the wisdom that is needed for each and every situation, if we will ask Him.
III. Understand that just because you surrender your life to Jesus doesn’t mean that life will from then on be easy and fun. There will be many very difficult testings and trials. Please understand that these same kind of testings/trials come to non-Christians too.
Everyone of us goes through pain over a period of time, but unless we have some insight during the time of pain nothing changes. That is where God comes in. He gives us the needed insight that allows us to grow and change for the better from our experiences.
God allows trials and testings to come upon the Christian not to destroy us or to make us bitter, but so we will grow in our dependence on Him. So we will better understand how wonderful His presence is. But during the trial things are hard and difficult. Sometimes they seem to be all we can bear or more than we can survive. God’s promise is that He will never put more upon us than we can bear. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (I Corinthians 10:13).
God promises to "never leave us or forsake us" (Hebrews 13:5). God doesn’t promise to take away the trials and problems, just to help us during those times and to help us not be bitter from them.
We must always remember above all else that after the trials comes God’s blessings. We have to have the trials first, or we wouldn’t enjoy the blessing. For the Israelites it was Elim. An oasis of twelve wells and 70 trees. Why are we told the number of wells and trees? So we will understand that while God brings blessings they are not to provide permanent satisfaction. There was one well for each tribe. And 70 trees for shade, but there wasn’t any way these were enough to satisfy this great number of Israelites.
Rest assured that each Christian will experience some Marahs. After the mountain top experiences, the PK SIG event, the moving altar prayer time, the rededication, the salvation experience, the great revival, etc. Satan will attack us just when things seem the best. Just as sure is the fact that each Christian will also have an Elims. After our difficult times God will bring a blessing upon us. It will bring refreshment. It will renew our faith. It will be good. It will show us God does care. It will strengthen us. But it will not satisfy us completely. It isn’t suppose to. Such blessings are designed to allow us the knowledge that God is definitely with us. But they aren’t designed to keep us attached or satisfied with this earthly life. We have a better place to go (heaven) than this old earth.
Invitation:
Are you struggling with life? Does it seem that your life is nothing but Marah? Rest assured if you are one of God’s children then He will give you an Elim. In the mean time keep trusting God. You might want to pray for both physical and spiritual strength. You need to ask for His help and strength.
If you are not a child of God, then you are struggling under your own power and you are losing. You need God. You need Him to help you. Won’t you surrender not your problem, but your life to Him?
When God confronts you, it is dangerous business if you don’t listen and obey.
(Preached at Woodville Baptist Church, Mitchell Indiana on 11/16/97 by Glenn A. Hamer, Senior Pastor.)
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