By Joseph Ametepe
"Then Moses led 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. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named. So they grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet" (Exodus 15:22-25).
There are at least two spiritual lessons in this passage. One is negative, complaining, which we should avoid. The other is positive, crying out to God, which we should practice. Moses cried out to God because he knew that God had a perfect solution for every problem His people face. Believers face problems in life. But we can face them knowing that God already has a perfect solution for each one of them. Like Moses, let's trust Him and turn to Him to show us His solution.
You see, Moses could have engaged in a "grumbling contest" with the people. He could have gotten into a "jawing and jabbing contest" with them. But these could have only worsen the situation. Moses knew God had the answer for the "test of thirst," which Israel faced in the wilderness. God did not disappoint Moses for turning to Him and trusting in Him to intervene in this explosive and emotional situation in the camp of Israel. And it is my belief that God will not put us to shame for turning to Him and trusting Him to provide the perfect solution of the problems we face in life. May the Holy Spirit teach us also to know how to practice crying out to God. To learn more about crying out to God, click "The Power of Crying Out to God."