Exodus 15:23
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
This week I set out to make some mint, lemon and cucumber water to drink. I cut the lemons. I sliced the cucumbers. Lastly, I chopped up some mint and put it in the water. I tasted it and it wasn't that strong, actually it was pretty good (at least I thought it was).
After bed that night, I woke up to get me a cool glass of my new drink, which I thought was still good. I went throughout the day drinking it from time to time. I left for my afternoon bus route and couldn't wait to get back home for another cold glass of the cucumber water. Well, when I walked in the door of our house I went straight to the fridge. Placing my cup under the spout, the fresh water came out. I took it up and drank it down. I let out a big, "Ahhhhh". Then out of nowhere Jacob, my son, said, "Dad! That water is nasty! Something is wrong with it!" I almost spit the water in my mouth out because of him. He said, "It taste funny! Like it's bitter".
The children of Israel came to a place where there was a well. The place was called Marah, which means bitter. The people couldn't drink the water because of its bitterness. And much like the waters, they began to murmur and complain about it. What is so amazing is that our God has a great way of teaching us lessons. The children of Israel had been bitter in their attitude toward Moses, Aaron and even God. So God brought them to a place that appeared to be water and rest and it was bitter. Do you find that funny? I can't help it, but I do. It seems like their bitterness came back to them.
Today, this morning, you have to make choices. You will make a choice to rise from bed and begin to work. You have a choice to stay in bed and rest. You have a choice to be bitter or to be sweet. I know that we don't know what the day will bring, but whatever happens we have choices to make. We choose to be bitter. Bitterness is a root of sin that infects the gardens of our minds. What we need is for the Holy Spirit of a God to remove the roots of bitterness from us. Many times bitterness comes from unforgiveness.
Imagine if people came to you, drew from your well, and spit out what they tasted. What if they said, "Don't drink that! Something is wrong with that water! It taste funny, like it's bitter!"? One old preacher once told me, "What's in the well, the bucket brings up". Choose to confess your bitterness. Choose to be the pure, clean, refreshing water of life.
Do you know what's really cool? God told them to put this certain kind of tree in the waters and it turned them sweet. After this, they began to enjoy the waters of the well because they were no more bitter. If you would confessyour sins to Jesus. If you would allow the man who hung on the "Old Rugged Cross" into your life, your bitter water would become sweet. Your hate would become love. Choose Jesus!
