Year of the Bible: Part Three of Twelve Àpẹrẹ

Water from the Rock.

The people experienced God's daily provision for their needs, yet they complained again when they came to a campsite with no water. In his book, Unlocking the Bible, David Pawson points out that they would have needed at least 2 million gallons of water per day to quench the people's thirst and that of their animals. That is a lot of water!! They didn't trust God and complained to Moses.

Moses asked the people, "why are you testing God?" They were so upset about their situation that they threatened to stone Moses! Can you imagine what would have happened to them if they had stoned Moses?

Tony Evans says that God graciously provided water for the people despite their grumbling. He used another unconventional way to provide. He asked Moses to take his staff (the one used for so many miracles in Egypt) and strike the rock at Horeb. Water came out miraculously, and everyone had enough. God was faithful, but the Israelites were developing patterns of disobedience that led to sorrow and disappointment. Moses was still listening to God and following His commands, even when they seemed strange, like striking a rock to get water.

In Psalm 95, we see the people being warned not to be like the Israelites when they tested the Lord. The writer of Hebrews also warns about becoming like the disobedient Israelites. Paul tells us that all these things "were written for our instruction." Let's heed the warning and learn to look to God for our needs.

Question: How has God proven Himself faithful to you? Do you need to do a better job reminding yourself of His goodness?

Prayer Focus: Ask God to remind you of the miracles He has done for you. Take time to thank Him for it! (Remember, miracles are things that human wisdom cannot explain).