Bitter waters made sweet

As I mentioned a while ago, I've begun the wonderful study of Psalm 23, The Lord is My Shepherd, by Elizabeth George. (I believe the book has now been retitled Powerful Promises for Every Woman, but the one I have is the older version. I don't see how the new one could be any better, though.) Anyhow, this week I'm in chapter 5, titled "God's Promise of Healing". This chapter presents the Lord as Jehovah-Rophe -- "the LORD who heals".

This morning I was directed to Exodus 15:22-26, where we read of what happened to God's people after crossing the Red Sea. Three days into their wilderness journey, they still had not found water. Then they came to Marah, where there was water, but it was bitter and undrinkable. The people murmured against Moses, who prayed and asked God what to do. Verse 25 tells us how God answered: "The LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet."

And then God added some instruction for His people. He reminded them that He would bless them: "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that healeth thee."

Elizabeth George writes, "What an object lesson this encounter with Jehovah-Rophe, the Lord who heals, must have been for the Israelites (and for us)! God's people were dying of thirst with only bitter, poisonous water on hand. And God took their physical need and turned it into a spiritual issue. Out of a bitter experience God revealed Himself in yet another sweet, comforting way, as 'Jehovah heals'."

Reading on to verse 27, we read what happened next. "And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters."

Over the past few months, I've been using my New Scofield Reference Bible for my devotional and Bible study time. This is a Bible I've had for many years, and it used to be my regular Bible. It's large, and is missing its front cover, so I stopped using it for church in favor of a smaller Bible. But one day I decided to take it out and use it for my devotions, and it's been great.

I was pleased to see a note from Dr. Scofield concerning these verses from Exodus 15. It was such a blessing to me, I want to share it with others. He wrote:

"Israel came to these bitter waters while walking in the very path of the LORD's leading, thus indicating that difficult experiences for God's people are educative rather than punitive. The tree which healed the waters should remind the Christian that the cross of Christ can take all the bitterness out of all such experiences. See verse 27 and observe that after trial which is accepted as the Father's will, blessing and growth will follow."

That encouraged me today! Yes, we sometimes bring trials upon ourselves as the natural result of sin or foolish choices. But most often we encounter trials "while walking in the very path of the Lord's leading" -- because trials are a part of life for all believers. And truly, remembering the cross and all that Jesus did for us there -- and the blessedness of our relationship to Him that resulted from that -- should make every bitter experience sweet. We know that He loves us and that He is in the trial with us. We know that He has promised to bring good out of even the bitterest waters we encounter. And, as C.I. Scofield pointed out, "blessing and growth will follow". I hope these thoughts are an encouragement to someone else today.