Throughout life, we all have and will experience disappointment and frustration. And while this is guaranteed, what isn’t is how we react to it.
How do you handle life’s bitter waters?
Miracles and Hardship: Freedom From Egypt
God’s people were no strangers to the letdowns of life.
In Exodus 14 and 15, we learn about the story of the children of Israel escaping slavery. In this particular book of the Bible, God opened the prison doors and raised Moses to lead His people to freedom. After gathering their belongings and leaving Egypt, they found the Red Sea before them and Pharoah’s army behind them.
Seeing the obstacles at hand, Moses stretched his rod over the waters, and God opened the sea on both sides. The children of Israel traveled through onto the other side—on dry land, by the way!—and witnessed the wonder-working power of God. (God performed two miracles just then: He parted the sea and made dry the ground that was just wet and muddy.) Upon seeing what the Israelites had just accomplished, Pharoah’s army stepped into the space between where the water was parted, and God closed the sea, drowning Pharoah’s men.
Just after this incredible circumstance, a challenging problem revealed itself. How many of you have experienced a miracle, only to find, right after, the devil rears his ugly head to make something terrible happen?
Exodus 15:22-25, in the NKJV, says, “So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statue and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them.”
Wilderness of Shur
In verse 22, we see that the children of Israel went into the Wilderness of Shur. Did you know that the word Shur means “wall”?
Some of you have hit a wall in life. Maybe you have worked hard to be promoted or have spent hours learning something new only to feel like you can go no further.
That is not by coincidence. The truth is that the devil longs to frustrate God’s children by erecting walls in your life. But the good news is, even still, God has a plan for you.
Are You Carrying Bitterness?
The Israelites not only hit a wall, but after searching for water for three days and not finding any, they were thirsty. Shortly after, they came upon a place called Marah, and in this place, a source of water, but they couldn’t drink from it because it was bitter.
Out of all the years I have been a pastor, one thing has remained consistent: I daily encounter people who are frustrated, angry, or hurt, and they have become bitter. Can you relate?
Maybe you have expected something only to receive something less.
Perhaps with practice, you thought you would become good at something only to become bad.
You have prayed for answers but now only walk away with questions.
You hoped for deliverance and instead found demons.
Unfortunately, because of these circumstances, you have made the choice to drink from bitter waters. (And not only that, some of you have filled your canteen and strapped it to your belt, attempting to quench the thirst of your frustration.)
Bitterness has the power to keep us dwelling on what is going wrong.
You think about someone who did you wrong.
You dwell on the situation where someone lied about you.
You stew in the unfairness of getting fired.
You remain angry at the church body because you haven’t been chosen to lead.
Life has a sneaky way of handing you bitter circumstances, but take heart; it is a part of life. You don’t have to find hardships; after a while, they will find their way right to you.
So, how should you handle the bitter waters of life?
Hebrews 12:14-15, NKJV says:
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”
God commands us to live at peace with everyone because bitterness causes trouble. The truth is, God wants to move you forward but can’t because you are still scheming about ways to pay someone back for the hurt they caused.
Saints, confess and repent, turning away from your bitterness and toward the One who can restore the joy of the Lord. May we carry the peace of Jesus, even in our frustration.
3 Ways to Handle Life’s Bitter Waters
When someone or something hurts you, how do you respond?
Together, let’s explore what God’s word says about how we can tangibly handle the bitterness life sends our way.
1. Pray to God (vs. 25)
2. See the Tree That God Shows You (vs. 25)
3. Cast the Tree Into Your Bitter Waters of Life (vs. 25)
Far too often, as we are in the thick of our hardship, it can feel like it will never end. However, be encouraged; God promises that the suffering will end! Even though the pain, tears, stress, and rejection show no end in sight, God tells us that it will eventually halt, and when you come out of it, it will benefit you.
Remember, Suffering Street is not your destination, but in order to get to Blessing Boulevard, you must follow the map. If you try to take a detour away from the pain by quitting your church, marriage, or job, you won’t glean what God is teaching you in the suffering. And instead of arriving sooner, you will create roadblocks in the process.
So, how can we expect God to redeem our suffering? Let’s look at four ways.
1: Pray to God (vs. 25)
“So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statue and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them.”
Exodus 15:25, NKJV
When you experience hardship, you must learn to carry your burdens to the Lord and be intentional about having a prayer life.
Some of you are simply going through the motions—you know the Lord’s prayer by heart and recite the same monotonous prayer before bed. You must create the space to commune with God and prioritize genuine conversation with the Lord.
And for those with a consistent prayer life, I implore you to stop praying nice-cutesy prayers. Foster a lifestyle where you can cry out to God in its fullest capacity. (I’m talking tears streaming down your face and snot running down your nose prayers!)
There is nothing quite like partnering with God when life has you down. The exchange is life-changing.
2: See the Tree That God Shows You (vs. 25)
“So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statue and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them.”
Exodus 15:25, NKJV
The method for dealing with bitterness starts with prayer, but simultaneously, you must choose to see the tree.
What tree am I talking about? The Tree called Calvary, of course!
As disciples of Christ, we must look past the person who offended us and the act that hurt us and focus on the Master of the universe. Saints, there is a God behind the curtain calling the shots, and He will not let one thing happen in our lives that He hasn’t already prepared us to be able to handle.
When you focus on the Tree, you can make it through anything.
3: Cast the Tree Into Your Bitter Waters of Life (vs. 25)
“So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statue and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them.”
Exodus 15:25, NKJV
While the tree represents that God is still in charge, you can choose to cast it into your circumstances. And when you do that, God will transform your bitterness into something sweet.
God is a God of restoration and renewal. He is faithful to take something that once made you cry and cause you to give Him a shout of praise for it!
For when you see God’s favor in your life, you will be empowered to thank the ones who hurt you.
Thank you for firing me; I’ve got a better job now!
Thank you for leaving me; I’ve got the person God wanted me to have!
Thank you for talking about me; I am stronger than I have ever been in my life!
Wells of Elim
Exodus 15 goes on to say in verse 27:
“Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.”
Some of you feel stuck between Marah and Elim, but hang on! The children of God were in a season of bitterness, but God brought them to a place of prosperity shortly after.
If you apply the Gospel to your situation and rely on only the Most High God, He will change your perspective and, in time and with obedience, will bring you to a place of blessing! (Believe me; there is enough for your spouse and your children, your mama and grandmama, and your brother and your sister!)
Church, don’t drink from the bitter waters of Marah because the wells of Elim are on the horizon. And boy is that water sweet.
For more on navigating life’s circumstances, check out Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr.’s sermon, Handling Life’s Bitter Waters.