Sunday Morning Podcast April 26, 2015. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: EXODUS 15:22-27
22 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.
23 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.
24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
James 3:8-11
8 But the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be.
11 Doth a fountain send at the same place sweet water and bitter?
The price of victory is often dismaying and overwhelming. You frequently gain victory at such a price, that the cost is bittersweet. You want victory so bad, but it cost so much. Yet the cost for God, leaves a different taste (sweet), in our mouth. The results will then bring joy. Christians are not left to be bitter, for God has healed their waters. Bitterness leaves one empty. One cannot drink daily the waters of heartache and woe, and be healed from bitterness. Drinking of bitterness will always take you back to sin, because it has an addictive quality. Mercifully we can have the spiritual sweet water’s deliverance, when we are fully consecrated to God’s will. God will then help one to see how to resolve the issues of bitterness in their life. Here, God’s people the Israelites, were looking for satisfaction for their great thirst. Moses and the Israelite’s bitter waters at Mara were made drinkable with the obedience of God’s command, to cast a tree in it. So also the waters for us, will become sweet through consecration to God’s word.
Today, we must thirst after God’s sweet holy waters, in order to be quenched, healed, and filled by them. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 Before any of our waters are healed through Salvation, they are bitter from sin. Many religions, often tell people that in their sins, they are “okay.” But those that are still in their sins, are not drinking at the sweet healing and cleansing waters of God’s Salvation. People must not take lightly or joke about sin, as that is a trick of Satan. The enemy desires us to stay in sin’s waters of spiritual bitterness, and darkness. But sweet deliverance will come when we are obedient to all the light of God’s word.
How is it with you? Are you living with the sweet waters of righteousness? Or, the bitter waters of sin? God desires to heal, and quench you with the sweet waters of His holiness!