I stood in church a few weeks ago singing the words of a song I’ve sung many times before. “One word from you. Things change on your authority.” Normally, these words would bring me comfort, but all of a sudden, as my mind settled on an ongoing struggle with one of my kids, my mouth shut. 

As a parent who is wanting to see change with a child often does, I usually sit and wonder what I’m not doing right, what I should be doing more of or less of or if I’m just not praying enough before concluding, it’s definitely D, all of the above. I said the wrong thing. I didn’t say the right thing. I didn’t teach this well enough. I need to do more of this. It must be my fault because ______. Fill in the blank with whatever form of mom guilt is the flavor of the day. 

However, as I sat there, listening to these words, the truth of them hit me like a punch. I don’t have the authority to change or not change this. One word from God, though, and he could. This situation is not changing because God is not changing it. He has the authority. I’ve asked him again and again to speak the word, but he’s not speaking it. 

I couldn’t bring myself to sing the words anymore. They tasted too bitter. 

God’s sovereignty is usually comforting, but sometimes, it can be a bitter pill to swallow when God is not doing what we think is good and we don’t understand why. As I sat there in silence, feelings of resentment and complaint building in my chest, my mind settled again on a passage I had just recently studied in Exodus. God had just miraculously divided the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians. Moses has a song. Miriam has a song. It’s very Prince of Egypt until you get to the part after the credits rolled. 

Exodus 15:22 tells us, “Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses saying, ‘What shall we drink?’” 

“Marah” the word for bitter is used three times in close succession. The author clearly wants us to know. Bitter, bitter, bitter.

You’ve probably heard the rest of the story. The Lord heads their cries and tells Moses to take a log and throw it into the water and it miraculously becomes sweet. 

Not long after in Exodus 17, at Massah and Meribah, the Israelites ran into another water problem. Now, it is not that there is only bitter water, there is no water at all. The text tells us the people are so angry they are almost ready to stone Moses. God again provides through miraculous means as Moses strikes a rock and water pours out. 

In the wilderness, the Israelites’ faith is tested by different kinds of waters: the impossible waters of the Red Sea, the bitter waters of Marah, and the lack of water of Massah and Meribah. 

Now, the Israelites get a bad rap, understandably so, but if you put yourself in their shoes for a minute, you might be more sympathetic. God conquered the impossible waters of their life as he has done for all of us through salvation. And then he takes them where? Three days into a barren wilderness with no water. And then, they finally find water and it’s not even drinkable. I might have some complaints too.

They probably questioned if God knew what he was doing.They probably questioned God’s goodness. Why would God deliver them from the Egyptians only to lead them to bitter water? 

Sometimes, God also leads us to places that feel impossible. Sometimes, God takes us to places of lack. And sometimes…sometimes, he takes us to places of bitterness. 

Maybe you feel that this Mother’s Day or just in whatever season you’re in. Maybe, like me, it tastes vaguely of bitterness for one reason or another. Maybe, it’s the bitterness of a wandering child or an ongoing health struggle or a loss of a child or a mother or the longing for a child that hasn’t come. Perhaps, like me you question, why would God lead me to these bitter waters? Perhaps, like me, you find it hard to sing because you know God could take away the bitterness, but he’s choosing not to. He could’ve led you somewhere else, but he led you here. 

Interestingly, after they are at Marah, God leads the people to a place called Elim which is described as having twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. You don’t have to be an M.Div to know the numbers twelve and seventy are significant. Twelve represents the twelve tribes of Israel and seventy represents order, completion, and total fulfillment of God’s purpose. It’s a clear picture of the promise of complete and total provision for the people. 

You do have to wonder, then, why didn’t God lead them there first? It’s not because he didn’t know what he was doing. It’s not as if he didn’t know Elim was there. He always intended to take them there. He could’ve taken them there first, but he didn’t. God determined it t was better for them to go to the bitter waters first. 

God had something to show them in the bitterness that they couldn’t learn in the sweet. 

And isn’t the way God often works? As I stood there that day in church, my mouth shut when everyone around me was singing, I knew the question. It’s the question we all get asked at points in our journey through the wilderness of life. Will we trust him even in bitter places? Will we trust the God who has delivered us through impossible waters to make our bitter waters sweet? 

If you feel stuck in a bitter place today, wishing God would move you on, cling to the hope that he will get you to Elim, but you will be better for having gone through these bitter waters first. And remember this as well…

There was another Israelite also led three days into the wilderness of death. There was another who didn’t complain or question. There was another who drank the bitter cup of God’s wrath for us. If, through the cross, Christ could turn the bitterest cup to purest drink for thirsty souls, there’s nothing he can’t overcome. In him, we have this promise, that the tree of his condemnation will one day turn even our bitterest waters sweet.

Thank you for reading. Please like and share if this was encouraging to you ❤️