Baptist Fellowship Church

The Power of a Surrendered Life Part 2
The Waters of Marah
Exodus 15:22-27

So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

Many Christians having passed through the Red Sea are still tasting the bitter waters of life. If life has been smooth for you, one day, you will come to your own “Marah”.

Life is a Mixture of both good and bad. Israel has just experienced blessings but must face bitterness. After tasting bitter waters, they enjoyed blessings again. Some assume that once we “sign up” to follow Jesus, there will be no bumps on the road. Life, in fact, has its wonderful moments while some aspects are depressing. When we know that life can go either way, we will be prepared for both.

Life has a Master. Israel forgot about the plague and death at the Red Sea. They forgot that God was in control. We cruise through life with blessings and take things for granted but when we are faced with difficulties, we hang our heads in misery. Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” God is in control.

Life has a Ministry. What they have gone through shaped their perception of what life was all about. Just as a child is a product of his environment, a Christian is a product of what he faces. God is trying to make us more like Him. Ephesians 4:13, “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Through these experiences, we are shaped.

What they learned about themselves. Life is like a giant laboratory. Every experience, good or bad, counts. When trials come they are the “scans” that reveal what we really are. The bitter trials at Marah revealed to Israel what they were like. We can learn a lot about ourselves when the bottom falls out of our lives.

They were Living for Self. They were concerned with their bodily satisfaction. When we are in a tight situation, we forget the greatness of God. We think of ourselves as the focus of our lives. But He wants us to live for Him. Mathew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

They were Walking by Sight. Israel was guilty of looking for satisfaction in the world around them. When their expectations failed them, they were disappointed with God. When we walk by sight, outside of faith, we are going into sin. Romans 4:14,” For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,”

They Were Never Satisfied. By the waters of Marah, they complained that God did not do it their way. Remember that when we are at the mountain top, we praise God for His glory. When we are in the valley, we praise God for His faithfulness. 1Thess 5:18 tells us to thank God in everything.

What did they learn about the Lord?

He is Aware of our Needs. God knew what Israel would face at Marah. He planned their journey. Nothing in our life takes God by surprise. Matthew 6:32, “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

He is Able to Meet our Needs. God in His wisdom had prepared the tree for meeting the needs of Israel. He manifested His power, and Israel got what they needed from the Lord. The secret to sweetening out life - many of us are at Marah - is to bring to bear the principle of the cross upon every bitterness of our heart.

He has Already Provided for our Needs. Years before Israel arrived at Marah, God caused a seed to germinate and grow into a tree. He does the same for us. Our need is evidence of God waiting to supply us. We will never face a need in life that God has not already met. If we realize this, it will totally destroy worry, fear and doubts.

If we have not let our will run in parallel to God’s will, there is confusion and unrest. Perfect peace comes with perfect submission.

From Marah to Elim - from a place of bitterness to a place of blessings. There were 12 wells for every month of the year. There is refreshment and rest. There were 70 palm trees, one tree for every year of a man’s life expectancy.

God uses the experiences of His children to reveal Himself.

Mr and Mrs ET Chua

This entry was posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Sermons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.