Giving and taking

Giving and taking

Bible: Exodus 15 : 22- 27

Reading

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 fit to drink (V.25).

The Israelites had just been rescued from slavery in Egypt. God had led them out of the country, through the Red Sea (literally!) and drowned the Egyptian army that had been chasing them. It was quite a rescue. Three days. That’s all the time it took for the Israelites to start complaining after God had saved them. They had freedom from Egypt; but they also had nothing to drink. And when they finally arrived at the Marah
oasis, the water was bitter (EXODUS 15:23). The people cried out to Moses, their leader. And Moses cried out to God. “The Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink” (V.25). Amazing! Yet it was the same God who, just a week or so earlier, had turned the drinkable water of Egypt into blood as part of His rescue plan (EXODUS 7:14-25). The point is this: the God who makes good water bad also makes bad water good. The same power that destroyed Egypt rescued Israel.

God opens doors and closes doors. He makes ways for us and shuts off other paths. He gives and He takes. And if we follow Him, we will find that both the giving and taking is for our good—just as it was for the Israelites. If
you are facing something really hard right now, remember that God has already met your greatest need forgiveness—so He will definitely lead you through today. Even if it doesn’t look like you thought it would.

GOD OPENS AND CLOSES DOORS;

AND HE LEADS US EXACTLY THE RIGHT WAY.

Youth Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries