5/24/2008 9:23 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: An old test repeated
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Exodus 17:1-3
Message of the verses: “1 ¶
Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel
2
Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water
that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with
me? Why do you test the LORD?"
3 But the people thirsted there
for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, "Why, now, have you
brought us up from Egypt
I
am now beginning a new chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s book on Exodus, and he entitles
this chapter “The Lord of Hosts is With Us”, and the first section is entitled
“God directs our steps,” and covers the first seven verses of chapter
seventeen.
I
believe that I mentioned in yesterdays SD that there are some tests in the
school of life that have to be repeated because of failure of the first test
and that is the case here in this section as God again tests these people over
the lack of water and again they fail the test.
In the first test they had water but it was bitter water so God provided
a tree to make it drinkable and then took them to a place where there was
plenty of water and gave them food, which they would receive for forty years.
In
the first verse it is said that the people moved “according to the command of
the Lord.” It was God who was leading
their path, and although Proverbs 3:5-6 were not yet written these people had
already seen miracle after miracle from the Lord that should have given them a
heart of faith instead of a heart of unbelief.
They actually had the Lord leading them in a pillar of clouds in the
daytime and a pillar of fire at night.
The
reaction at Rephidim was quarreling and grumbling against Moses, which was
really against the Lord as seen in the last test over the food where Moses
asked them who he was that they should grumble against him, for they were
actually grumbling against God.
In
each of these tests the reaction is the same from the children of Israel , and that is when trouble comes they
grumble against Moses, which is grumbling against God, and then they ask if he
brought them out of Egypt
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I want to focus in of this statement that the
children of Israel seem to always say when they are being tested by God and
that is go back. Going back is not
something that I can do in most circumstances and in most tests that God will
give me in the school of life. This
statement makes me think of the two books that I recently were reading about
the man who went to heaven for ninety minutes because he was hit by a car on a
bridge, a bridge he did not have to cross, but made the decision to cross the
bridge and go that way home. In his
second book he had learned the lesson that he could not go back across that
bridge once he had crossed it and thus moved forward with his life, which of
course was being led by the Lord. There
are a lot of times, if I would have had a choice, to go back, but that is the
wrong attitude. The right attitude is to
trust the Lord to show me what it is that He wants me to learn as I go forward
through the tests and trials of life.
This is called walking by faith, and wanting to go back to Egypt
My Steps of Faith for Today:
After reading this passage one of the steps of faith that I have been
including each day for the past few days is appropriate to use and that is I
want the Lord to lead and direct my path, Proverbs 3:5-6; I want the Lord to
continue to teach me contentment, Phil. 4:11; I want to yoke up with the Lord
as seen in Matthew 11:28-30; and I want the Lord to keep me from falling into
temptation as found in 1 Cor. 10:13.
Memory verses for the week: Matthew
11:28-30
28.
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden
and I will give you rest.
29.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I
am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30.
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
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