“He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.” – Psalm 23:2b-3a
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee”. -Isaiah 43:1b
“What manner of man is this! For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” – Luke 8:25b
We’re more like the Children of Israel than we think. When you read through the Book of Exodus, it’s easy to criticize the fickle and faithless Israelites, who turned a 250-mile journey into 40 years of aimless wandering. And yet, too many of us reach the water’s edge and choose to take the long, winding road of self-will rather than the straight, narrow path of God’s promise.
By the time we find the Children of Israel journeying “from the wilderness of Sin” (I’m sure that name is no coincidence) in Exodus 17, they’ve already had several encounters with God at the water’s edge. The first was at the Nile River, when God told Moses to stretch forth his rod and the water turned to blood, just the first of ten plagues that would devastate Egypt on Israel’s behalf (Exodus 4:14-25). Next, after Pharaoh finally released the Israelites (giving up his precious workforce of slaves), and then experienced an inevitable change of heart, God met them again at the edge of the Red Sea. There He pulled the mighty waters back to let them pass on dry land, and then unleashed those same waters on the Egyptian army, effectively ending Egypt’s hold on them once and for all (Exodus 14:21-30).
Still in Exodus 15, they experience another faithless moment when just three days later, they find bitter, undrinkable water at Marah (Exodus 15:22-27). Another mass temper tantrum ensues, until God tells Moses to thrust a tree into the water, immediately making it clean, sweet and drinkable. God then uses this as a “teachable moment” in Exodus 15:25-27, promising to always provide for them if they will only trust and obey (a promise He reiterates time and again to them and to us). And in spite of the fact that they have murmured their way from Egypt to Elim, He leads them to the “still waters” of twelve beautiful wells surrounded by palm trees – a virtual oasis of blessing. And then we get to Exodus 17 – another water shortage, another faith shortage, and yet, another undeserved miracle, as God provides water from the rock.
Are we any different? As trial and tragedy strike – around the world, in Washington and on Wall Street, in our families, our homes, and our hearts – do we find ourselves murmuring our way through life, forever fighting a shortage of faith, with clouded memories of the last miracle we experienced at the water’s edge? If I’m honest, I catch myself all the time, worrying about my problems, wondering if God understands, and working to fix things in my own strength – foolish, faithless, and needlessly frustrated. And yet God is there every time, pulling me back from the edge and giving me His Living Water (John 4:10). And I’m nothing special. If I can screw up over and over and be restored over and over by His grace, then so can you (Joshua 23:10b, Psalm 103, 124, Isaiah 43).
Regardless of what is on your heart today, know that YOU are on God’s heart. He is waiting for you at the water’s edge, intending to keep His promise once again. There may be storms closing in on all sides, but there are “still waters” and rest for your weary soul in His presence. I’ll say it again: your problems are no surprise and no challenge to Him – but He challenges you to trust and obey and to prove Him through your problems (Psalm 18, 81:7, Proverbs 3:5-6, I Thessalonians 5:23-24, Hebrews 3:8-9).
When you reach the water’s edge, don’t forget – He still parts the seas, He still makes even the bitterest waters sweet, and He still calms the storms of life. He is the Rock and the Living Water all rolled into one, and His goodness and mercy are well worth remembering – forever.
