"FAITH TO SURMOUNT TROUBLES"

We are all familiar with the story of God's saving Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. Under the leadership of Moses they crossed the Red Sea. The next day, they saw many of the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. They sang the song of deliverance. Miriam, Moses' sister, led the women in a song that told how the Egyptians went to the bottom of the Sea like lead.

It was not long however that they began to complain and murmur because of the lack of water. When they did find water it was bitter, so they complained the more. They did not pray to God, they did not send out people to try and find more water...they just complained. Isn't it strange how we do? You know that we are told that these stories are placed in the Old Testament as a warning to us not to act like they did...but, we do anyway.

Paul said that, "These things are written for our learning unto whom the ends of the world have come." (I Cor. 10:11). In other words, we are to learn from Israel. Israel was good at complaining, and so are we.

Moses went to God in prayer and God told him to cut down a certain tree growing nearby and cast it into the bitter water and the bitter water would become sweet. Moses did so, and lo, the water was sweet. Here is another thing. When God made the water sweet, Israel still remembered that it was bitter. That place was known from then on as bitter waters. Why did they do that? Why not call it "Sweet Water?" or, and "Answer to Prayer?" Again, we act the same way. We magnify our problems and forget the solution.

Job said that "Man is born to trouble as the flames go upward." (Job 5:7). Likewise, we read: "Man that is born of woman is few days and full of trouble." (Job 14:1,2). Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

In First Corinthians Ten, Paul tells us that when Israel went through the Red Sea, she was baptized of God in the cloud and the sea. Likewise, we are told that when we are baptized that we leave the world behind. We are a new creature in Christ. But, like Israel we are marching toward the Promised Land. They had many problems to overcome and so do we.

When Israel complained to Moses, Moses ask God concerning the bitter water. God informed Moses that the remedy was near at hand. He did not perform some miracle. He did not cause a great up-roar in the heavens and bring forth certain sweet water.

The remedy was already there. Moses was told to cut down a certain tree and cast it into the water and it would be sweet. So he did and so it was. The remedy for our problems are right at hand. "Say not in your heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down, or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what says the scripture? The word is near you, in your mouths and hearts; that is the word of faith which we preach." (Romans 10:6-8). We are always looking for this or that when the answer is near us. The answer is Christ. When we obey him, then we can make it to the promised land.

Israel had to learn a lesson. We must learn many lessons as well. The greatest one that we can learn is that we will have troubles in this life, but faith in Christ will see us through ( 2 Cor. 5:7). We also need to learn that "all things work for good for them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

- Dan Carter