Complaining in the Wilderness

^{Exodus 15:22-27}

²² Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. ²³ When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.^[a])²⁴ So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

²⁵ Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. ²⁶ He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

²⁷ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. 

Yesterday I read Exodus 15:22-27 and God spoke some things to me that I wanted to make sure to write down and share.  To preface this passage, the Israelites had just escaped the Egyptians, crossed the Red Sea and watched as God defeated their enemies.  Moses led them in praise to God and now they have been wandering in the desert for three days.  They haven't found water and naturally they are all thirsty.  After three days they come across an oasis in Marah but the water was too bitter to drink. And with the same mouths they had just praised God with, they began to complain.  The Bible says that they "grumbled against Moses".  Moses, instead of turning against those he was leading or complaining to God he simply came to God with a request.  This is the first "nugget" that God showed me.  God doesn't want us to come to him with complaints but simply with our requests.  All he wants is for us to ask.  Jude is only 15 months and he is starting to learn how to communicate with us.  This is a frustrating task for both him and I because he knows what he wants but lacks the vocabulary to voice it.  He often resorts to screaming at me not only out of frustration but also in hopes that I will understand what he needs.  I have been working with him on words and signs for things so that he can better communicate his needs to me without constantly screaming.  I feel like that is the place I sometimes find myself with God.  Instead of communicating what my needs are I resort to complaining.  Just like the Israelites did when they found themselves in need of drinkable water.  But Moses came before God on their behalf and made the request known.  "What are we to drink?"  That leads me to the second nugget.  Simply ask God.  He does care and he does hear our requests.  He answered Moses and told him to throw the piece of wood in the water and it would become fit to drink.  God answered and the people had water to drink.  In verse 27 we see that they were later led to and oasis in Elim where there was plenty of water and resting places for the whole group.  This is the final point.  God will answer.  I truly don't believe that God wanted his people to die of thirst.  He was willing and ready to answer he just needed them to ask.  God provided for his people then and he continues to do so today.  God wants to answer we just have to stop complaining and start asking.