Read: Exodus 15:22-27
The Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. —Exodus 15:25
Bible In One Year: Exodus 16-18; Matthew 18:1-20
Joy and sorrow are often close companions. Just as the Israelites went from the thrill of victory at the Red Sea to the bitter waters of Marah just 3 days later (Exodus 15:22-23), our rejoicing can quickly turn into anguish.
At Marah, the Lord told Moses to throw a tree into the water, which made it "sweet" and drinkable (v.25). Another "tree," when "cast into" the bitter circumstances of our lives, can make them sweet. It is the cross of Jesus (1 Peter 2:24). Our outlook will be transformed as we contemplate His sacrificial death and His submission to the will of God (Luke 22:42).
Our pain may come from the ill-will of others, or worse, from their neglect. Nevertheless, our Lord has permitted it. We may not understand why, yet it is the will of our Father and Friend, whose wisdom and love are infinite.
When we say yes to God as His Spirit reveals His will to us through His Word, the bitter circumstances of our lives can become sweet. We must not grumble against what the Lord permits. Instead, we must do all that He asks us to do. Jesus said that we are to take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23).
When we remember Jesus' cross and submit to the Father as He did, bitter experiences can become sweet. —David Roper