So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? (Exodus 15:22-24)
One of the greatest needs when traveling through a wilderness is water, and in this account, the Israelites faced a major problem: They had none. The waters they came to were bitter and unfit to drink. So how did the Israelites deal with this challenge? Instead of looking to God to meet their need, they began to murmur against Moses and demanded, "What are we going to drink?"
You, too, will encounter "bitter waters" along your journey in life. The term "bitter waters" can be used to represent the difficulties that come into your life through others around you, the circumstances of life, Satanic attack, your ministry, or perhaps your own transgressions. Whatever the source of your "bitter waters", the solution is not to grumble and complain against God.
Thankfully, Moses turned to God and "...cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet..." (Exodus 15:25).
There is a powerful message in this symbolic act of casting a tree into the water. In Isaiah we read...
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of His roots; And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, and the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears. (Isaiah 11:1-3)
When you stand on the banks of the "bitter waters" of negative circumstances, you must respond as Moses did. You must cast in the Branch. The Lord Jesus Christ is that spiritual Branch which must be cast into the circumstances of your life. He is represented by the tree on the bank.
God did not lead you to bitter waters to drink of them. He allowed them for the same purpose He did in Israel's experience. He permits difficult circumstances to prove you, to see whether you will drink of the bitterness and die spiritually or allow God to sweeten your bitter waters through the Branch of the Lord Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord, when I stand before bitter waters, guard my heart from murmuring and unbelief. I cast Jesus—the Branch—into every painful circumstance, and I trust You to make what is bitter sweet. Prove me faithful in the wilderness and refine my heart through every trial. I will drink of Your grace and move forward in strength.
