It’s happened to me before. I lost hope that things would work out. Everything was going wrong. And then, immediately after I handed it all over to God, things shifted. Has that happened to you before? If so, we’re in good company. That’s what happened next in the Exodus saga. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Exodus 15:27 AFV
[27] And they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. And they camped there by the waters.
Bountiful Provider & On-Time God
Just imagine …
3 days walking – no water
People are desperate
We begin to worry
It’s the desert, not our comfort zone
We get bitter
Tensions are high
Water is found – it’s poisonous/bitter
Some fall sick
We wonder whether we will die like the Egyptians
We speculate that YHWH is punishing us like the Egyptians
We consider repenting
We don’t know what to expect
Will YHWH give us desert bricks like our enslavers? Will we all die before we’ve even left Egypt fully? What manner of Saviour have we taken to ourselves?
We’re still desperate.
We are still in the wilderness-desert
The dangers remain
There’s still no water.
Self-Check
What is our ‘gut response’ at this point?
Deeper Dive
YHWH speaks to us through Moses
We don’t fully understand the terms of the covenant, but we agree to it. Anything to appease YHWH
Moses is directed to go a bit further
It can’t be real
We all see a mirage
It’s water!
12 gushing springs of pure, untainted water – 1 for each tribe
Palm trees to keep us cool
Sweet abundance
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I think that’s why they say it’s always darkest before dawn. Before that sliver of hope pierces through, it is total worrisome darkness. I’ve never thought of darkness as educational or revelatory before, but it actually is. It refines us and puts many things in perspective. It reveals what we truly believe deep within. It sheds light on what we think is true when all is well. It invites us to dig deeper.
And when the morning comes, when the light comes, might we find ourselves having grown deeper in our faith, renewed and recharged to help others find their hope at Elim.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
