Sweet Water, Bitter Well

Nº 351

April 22, 2025

The soul’s deepest thirst is for God Himself, who has made us so that we can never be satisfied without Him. - F.F. Bruce

About a million Israelites were thirsty – very thirsty! The watering hole of Marah was bitter - apparently undrinkable - and the people were upset. They grumbled and complained against Moses, so he did what he did best: “...he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” (Exodus 15:25)

Life is full of bitter water. There is always a reason to complain, and it is easy to blame the people ‘in charge’.

When the problem was unresolved and their expectations went unmet, the Israelites turned against Moses. However, when the angry mob confronted Moses, he turned to God. Those two options become our defaults: we turn on people with anger and blame or we turn to God in helplessness and hope.

We all have a “log” to throw into the water of our disappointment that God can use to make life’s bitter water drinkable and even sweet. It might be the log of gratitude, of hope, of trust, of obedience, or some other quality or value. Don’t become hostile; allow the sweet water of God’s love to change your attitudes and align your perspectives with his.

Excelsior,

Dan Bolin

Author & President