I Feel for Moses

In Exodus 17 Moses lead the people of Israel exactly where God wanted them to be.  It was a wilderness, desert area that was probably just past an oasis.  The people were thirsty.  They were grumpy.  While they had just seen God part the waters of the Red Sea, they wanted to stone Moses for bringing them to this wilderness where there was no water.  Moses did his best to point out that this was exactly where the Lord wanted them to go and so why were the people complaining to him and not trusting the Lord?  They wanted nothing to do with these great truths.  Their current situation was shouting to them false truth and it was drowning out what Moses was saying.  The people wanted water, and because there was none, there only conclusion was that God had left them.

What a dilemma for Moses.  He did just what God wanted him to do.  He led the people exactly where God wanted them to be.  His job was to follow God and lead the people accordingly.  He did that.  Why God brought them to a place with no water was beyond him.  He just knew that God also led them right to the shore of the Red Sea.  Trapped by mountains and the Egyptian army until God parted the waters. So Moses was trusting that God had a plan now.  How could he not have a plan?  Moses had learned that each time that it seemed impossible, God came through.  He provided, he protected, he blessed. No different this time.  But the people were so loud in their grumbling.  So vocal in their threats.  I love that Moses goes to the Lord and does not ask for water but asks the Lord what he is supposed to do with the people.  For Moses, the problem was not the lack of water, but the grumblings of the people.

No water was another test of trust.  The people failed.  They could not see that the real problem was not the lack of water, God could bring water from a rock, the problem was their grumbling and complaining.  Having a correct attitude is 90% of the battle.  Waiting on the Lord is impossible when you are so focused on what you perceive the need to be that you are willing to grumble and complain until you get what you want.  Being thirsty is difficult.  Facing a crisis is always difficult.  But when we know you have been obedient and are thus exactly where God would have you to be, then you must learn from the past and wait patiently for him.  Our whining, grumbling, and attacking of others who seem to be responsible for our crisis, only keeps us from what God is intending for us to learn.

Think through the OT.  God leads, often right into a crisis.  Wall of Jericho, den of lions, fiery furnace, tall giant, etc.  God knows that there is no greater lesson than for us to trust.  He can do the impossible.  He can knock down walls, shut the mouths of lions, cool the flames, and help us slay the giants.  But what would have happened if Joshua just stood there and complained about the thickness of the walls?  What if Daniel would have whined because the other leaders picked on him?  What if David would have simply berated his brothers for not stepping up?  Attitude, faith, and trust are our job.  The impossible is God’s job.  So stop complaining and wait for the impossible to happen.  You never know, the impossible may be an attitude correction for you!

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