“Give
thanks
to
the
Lord,
for he is good;
his love endures forever”
starts Psalm 107. The readings for today talk about the goodness and power of God. Let us cry out to the Lord in our distress, and he shall respond to us with his unfailing love. But it’s not without bumps in the road.
Let’s look at the passage in Exodus. Short version: Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and during the next part of their journey to Sinai, they traveled in the desert for three days without finding water. Then upon reaching water in Marah, they couldn’t drink it because it was bitter. The people grumbled against Moses, which essentially was grumbling against God. So Moses prayed to the Lord, who responded by sweetening the water. Next, they traveled to Elim, where the water was plentiful.
Even though the deliverance of the people from Egypt was huge, it didn’t mean that they were without future difficulties. And even though God had done great things for them, the people couldn’t help but complain. The lesson for today: have patience, and pray. Trust in God. Don’t grumble. Life will continue to have its ups and downs. God can change our conditions in this world from better to worse, and from worse to better. But we should remember that He is taking care of us, and that faith in Him will make life’s largest problems tolerable.
- Psalm 107:1-16
- Exodus 15:22-27
- Hebrews 3:1-6
