Thoughts for the Day, September 7, 2020

 

Yesterday, we traveled with the Israelites from  Elim to the wilderness of Sin where God provided manna by day and meat by evening. Again, today we travel alongside the Israelites  who go in stages as the Lord commanded  from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim , but there was no water for the people to drink:

 

“The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ So, Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink. Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” (Ex. 17: 1-7)

 

The wonderful gift we see in today’s story is that God was willing to work with the people, despite their grumbling,  thankless behavior. 

So, what does God do? God provides. Despite their testing and their quarreling, God still gives. It stands to reason, that after undergoing such trials Israel could be a little more thankful?

Maybe we can learn from the Israelites and be more gracious and  thankful, when everything does not go our way. Have a blessed day!