Image from buzzfeed.com/getty images
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. The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?" 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?" Moses cried out in prayer to God, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!" 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. 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." 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 Version)
The photograph above is a day or two old. It shows the situation in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria hit the island. There is no electricity, nor water available to most on the island. The situation is dire. We should be in prayer, as well as sending what we can to relief efforts such as UMCOR (The United Methodist Committee on Relief) to help our brothers and sisters with their needs. The photograph also goes with this morning's passage from Exodus. Most days we take water for granted. We get thirsty, we go to the faucet and pour ourselves a glass of water. We feel dirty, we can take a bath. But when nature strikes and we have no access to water, it's a terrible feeling. We have two dogs that sleep in the next room and they know when they don't have water and if they sense one of us up, they bark. So, at 2:30 or so I hear one of them barking. And sure enough, there was no water in their dispenser. I filled it and they both drank to their content. Imagine the complaining Israelites reaching this point and realizing there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink. And, of course they asked Moses for water. And Moses cried out to God. God told Moses to take the staff that he had used to strike the Nile River and there God's presence allowed for water to miraculously appear and the people drank.
Water is precious and is a powerful symbol of God. God's Spirit moved among the face of the water when creation occurred, water was used to baptize, water of the womb sustained us, and Jesus said He was the living water that would quench our thirst for all time. And God provides water, and we should share it with those who have no water.
PRAYER: Loving God, quench the thirst of my soul; help me to share living water and needed water with those in need. Help us help those in areas affected by storms and earthquakes so that they too, may have water. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Savor the quenching qualities of water, and then share it with the thirsty.
Eradio Valverde
