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1 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink. 2 The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?" 3 But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?" 4 Moses cried out in prayer to God, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!" 5 God said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. 6 I'm going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink." 7 He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, "Is God here with us, or not?" (Exodus 17:1-7 The Message Bible)
Happy Thursday, dear Friend. If you live near the Gonzales area, many homemade cookies are needed for a Men's Kairos event happening October 12 -15, and the recommended amount of a donation is six (6) dozen homemade cookies to share with the inmates during this even that stresses God's unconditional love. If you can make cookies then please call Mr. Darvin Dieringer at 361-877-2664. Other acts of love are the gift of praying for this retreat or a money donation which can be mailed to Brother Dieringer, PO Box 1936, Gonzales, TX 78629. These retreats have blessed many lives and more blessings are needed.
It is so incredible that our once full vehicle is now only the two of us. It truly seems that last week we had four giggling, laughing, crying, yelling, and fighting girls. What a joy it was to our heart to be blessed with these babies and enjoy them now as adults but eternally our babies. Yes, we had "the questions" of "When we will get there?" or "When do we eat?" But, we knew it was part of the experience. In total our daughters traveled with us two complete roundtrips around the sun. And having said that, I was reminded that Seguin is now only three miles from the sun. Don't believe me? Check your thermometer! And your rain gauge.
Now, multiply four children by ten thousand or so, in a Plymouth Voyager van traveling from Egypt to the promised land. And the AC in the minivan doesn't work, and the ice that was in the styrofoam HEB cool is melted and the bottles once filled with water are now empty floaters in it. It started with a small voice from the very back and only the siblings hear it. "I'm thirsty." It started as a whisper, fearful of hurting anyone, but it was loud enough for the closest sibling to say it a bit louder and those who heard it soon felt compelled to join in and the roar reaches poor Daddy Moses squeezes the steering wheel a bit harder. "Give us water to drink." Last week it was food, today's it's water. But always the question, Can we really trust God?
The grumbling begins again with the same question: "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?" Come on, people, can you not think of a more original question or complaint? It drives Moses to ask again, in a prayer no less, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!" God answers the prayer, with the solution of taking the staff Moses had used to turn the Nile river water into blood, and strike the rock at Horeb, and that rock will spring forth water, that the people will be able to drink to their heart's content. It wads as God said, and water came forth for the thirsty, griping people to drink. And, Moses names it an appropriate name, Massah and Meribah, meaning Quarreling Testing Place. History tells us he wanted to name it, "Here I killed my cranky kids!"
Hear this; God never tires of hearing from us even if we're moaning and griping. Tell me a parent that doesn't answer their baby's phone call especially when life has been hard on them. God's line is never busy, and His unconditional and God hears all messages, even the angry, complaining ones. In the same way God responded even to the grumbling Israelites, will answer us. God's faithfulness never ends. God provides for our needs, even in the midst of the most of life's challenging circumstances. This event teaches us to trust and obey God. We must trust God's timing not only ours. Yes, in His time, God will respond how He wills, but it will always arrive at the most appropriate time
The lesson sets the stage, even in the year it happened, for the greatest event of Jesus being the Living Water that He offered on the pages of the New Testament. Jesus is living water and He can quench our spiritual thirst and provide eternal life. Just like our Jewish brothers and sisters found physical refreshment in the desert, we can find spiritual refreshment and renewal through faith in Jesus Christ. Please know that we can always turn to God, trust in Him and find our thirsts met in the living water that Jesus provides.
PRAYER: God of Living Waters, quench our thirst for You and help us to share Your love with all people starting now; in Christ Jesus' strong name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: seek to share Jesus with the thirsty.
Receive my blessing of love and joy,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
