BITTER-SWEET EXPIRIENCE

Our Bible Study group have started the study of the Tabernacle. I was too excited to begin. When I sat down to write my first introduction lesson, I wanted to write about everything and I thought after that it will be clearer...not really...my second lesson was the same- I wanted to cover so much, but God really stopped me and birthed a different lesson through me. And let me tell you, THAT ONE was HARD on me! Mostly, because I could relate to every point God was teaching me. As I was preparing for the sutdy, I felt it was important for us to stick around in the desert before we begin building the Tabernacle. So we did. We "hung out" with Israel when they went through the sea and we sang along the "Freedom Song" in Exodus 15, many of us, who's been freed from spiritual Egypt knew exactly how Israel felt....
Then I told my ladies, "I begining to think that Israel was slightly "bypolar", because chapter 15 is not over yet and we see them complaining" :)
Read for yourself: Exodus 15:22-27
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. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"
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 sweet.
There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of 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."
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.".............
Why would God in all His infinite wisdom chose to reaveal Himself as Jehovah-Rapha,the Healer, by the waters? Couldn't He wait till one of them got sick with some terrible disease? Why there?
I think He had a perfect plan. You see, Israel- the free people, had to learn something. They may be physically free, but in their minds- they remained to be slaves. And the first sign of slavery is - bitterness. Bitterness is a disease that is so common among us humans. Biterness is the cancer that eats us inside out. Marah was a strategic place for Israel to learn their freedom. Bitterness of the heart is something we all have suffered at some point of our life. I remember mine- it was so bad I could literally taste it in my mouth and I cryed out to God for healing. And He did exactly the same He did with Isral, He got the tree and dipped it in, the tree of Calvary that is. 1 Peter 2:24 says,"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
I was challnged by Israel's very first test in the wilderness.God saw their hearts and He knew that bitterness had root there (Hebr.12:15 "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.)
Among all the people, Israel had the most rights to be bitter- they were abused, mistreated, misunderstood,persecuted for their faith, their babies were killed, they were different from the people they lived around, they spoke a different language, they have been home-sick for over 400 years...you name it- they had it...yet God pointed out the issue of bitterness before He pointed out the "golden calf" problem. I guess He was trying to say, " Free child of God is the one with the sweet heart". OUCH! I want to be free. Healing of my bitter heart was the greatest freedom for me- I am free to tell you I'm delivered, I am free to tell you about my past pain, because I let it go....I am free. I AM FREE!!!!!
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Gal.5:1)
Bitterness is a trap for all us, dear one, be alert.
But wait, there is MORE!!! :)
My favourite part about these 5 verses is the end. After they've delt with bitterness, God leads them to Elim where they see 12 springs and 70 palm trees. Isn't God good???? I stoped and thought about those numbers-12 & 70. 12 disciples, 70 disciples that Jesus sent out....forgive 70 times 7......do you think what I think? Do you think that God's desire for us to deal with the our biterness so that He can use us to the fullest later? Isn't He GOOD??? We want to serve Him so bad, we want to be refreshed in His presence and you can get it at Elim. But to get there we all have to pass through Mara and allow that sweet Cross to be dipped in our hearts enough to make it sweet....c'mon beloved, you can do it! Dip that Cross in you heart as many times as you need, even if it's 100 times a day, God is Faithful to make your Mara sweet (notice, He promised to make YOUR MARA sweet, not the reason of biternness)....you're just one step away from Elim- a place of great spiritual effectivenss, fruitfulness, refreshment and freedom! Elim awaits for you, hurry!