Campgrounds

“For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter…So the people grumbled against Moses… and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet…He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes…for I am the LORD, who heals you.’ Then they came to Elim [large tree], where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.” Ex 15:22-27.

Everyone on this earth will travel into the desert of adversity becoming parched for the water of resolution. Life presents trial upon trial beckoning some form of response from us. Will our response be bitter or sweet? Will we grumble for what we lack or will we praise Him for what we have and expect more of His good? My commentary states that although they grumbled against Moses the Lord considered their grumbling directly against Him.

James 3:10 states ‘Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be’…but yet it is. God has also shown us two pieces of wood that will sweeten our life when we throw it into every area we experience. They just happen to cross near the top and represent the sweet Lamb who sacrificed all for our eternity. Once we camp at the base of the wooden tree that held our Savior we come in for the promise of His healing. If we stay near the living waters, not roaming far from the bank, we will never be diseased by our culture.

‘Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life…flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit…And the leaves of the tree are for the healing…’ Rev. 22:1-2.

Who says we can’t experience a little bit of heaven on earth through the Holy Spirit? ‘Having believed, you were marked in him with … the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.’ Eph. 1:13-14.