Grumbling To Gratitude
Exodus 15:22-27
"Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water."
So often, when we read the stories of the Israelites that highlight their disobedience, their sinful reactions, and their lack of faith and trust in our powerful God, we can pass judgment or even feel a little self-righteous. We shake our heads at their grumbling responses and wonder, how could they have seen God do so much and still not trust Him to take care of them?
But then I wonder: what would we do if we were placed in a situation like theirs?
We live in a culture that proudly totes the latest brand of refillable water bottles, carefully tracking our ounces to reach the recommended daily water intake. Now imagine the Israelites traveling through a hot, barren desert for three days without finding a single drop of water. Then, finally, on the third day, it's not a desert oasis, but actual water! Picture the group running toward it to quench their thirst, only to find that it is bitter. It's utterly undrinkable, and complaining ensues. Would we react any differently?
There have been several seasons in my life when I needed to be reminded of God's power, love, mercy, and provision because, like the Israelites, I have complained and grumbled. I have looked at what was missing rather than noticing what God was faithfully providing.
One of those seasons was when we were walking through infertility. It seemed that every Sunday at church, someone was announcing they were expecting, a baby was born, or another infant was baptized. I would sit quietly in the pew with brimming tears, envying, grumbling, wondering if the Lord saw me and our struggles.
Before Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts, there was The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude. I challenged myself each morning to write down five things I was thankful to God for—five small blessings that redirected my attention. Instead of letting my thoughts circle endlessly around what I didn't have, gratitude helped me notice God’s goodness and kindness already at work in my life in so many other ways.
It did not immediately change my circumstances, but it began to change my perspective and my heart to focus on God, His will for my life, His peace, and the blessings He had already provided that were so evident all around me.
A more recent struggle brought this simple gratitude practice back to mind. I was frustrated by my circumstances, stressed, impatient, and worried, which nibbled away at my contentment and increased my grumbling. So each morning when I woke up, I intentionally named different things I could thank God for, places where His mercy was poured out, and focused on the fact that my plans, timing, and needs were not aligning with His.
Gratitude became a way of turning my eyes from the dry, seemingly endless, uncomfortable wilderness around me toward the God who was walking with me through it. "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Psalms 62:8
At Marah, the Israelites encountered bitter water. But God did not leave them there. Even in their grumbling, He provided for them, reminded them of his expectations, promised healing, and then led them on to Elim—a place of abundant water and shade, a place of healing and restoration.
Sometimes we too are at our own Marah, grumbling, tasting the bitterness of disappointment, grief, fear, uncertainty, or unmet expectations. Test after test is heaped upon us; we feel like we are suffocating beneath the weight of yet another trial, and the scars from the last battle are still tender. Sometimes we are at Elim, enjoying the refreshing evidence of God's faithfulness, rest, and restoration. And sometimes we are somewhere in between, walking dusty roads with tired feet, thirsty and weary, wondering how much longer the difficult journey will last.
Every one of these seasons can become a ministry of the Lord to us and through us. He uses our circumstances to shape us, deepen us, and teach us where our true source of strength lies. We can trust the One who leads us through it, be grateful for His mercy, and see the small blessings all around us. Perhaps this is what it means to live out a long obedience in the same direction— to "do what is right in His eyes" (v.26), to keep walking, keep trusting, keep obeying, and keep turning our hearts toward God even when the path is challenging, confusing, and seemingly impossible, knowing that Elim, a place of abundance and healing, is waiting for us.
It's been a difficult season for many in our congregation and community. My hope is that when your wilderness feels overwhelming, you can be intentionally grateful for what God has provided and focus on the God who sees you. When the water tastes bitter, look to the God who can perform miracles and make it sweet. When you cannot see Elim ahead, remember that the same God who sustained you yesterday is the God who will sustain you today.
For this week's song, I went with an old-school hymn but couldn't resist including a newer praise song too. Feel free to take the time to worship God through their message of God's faithfulness and goodness.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErwiBz1QA4o&list=RDErwiBz1QA4o&start_radio=1
The Goodness of God -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f4MUUMWMV4&list=RD-f4MUUMWMV4&start_radio=1