Photo courtesy of Jason Eppink

We hope you enjoy this re-post from September 22, 2013. Be blessed! The Today’s Quote From God Team

The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? – Exodus 15:24, AMP.

For three days after God miraculously rescued them by parting the Red Sea, the children of Israel traveled in the wilderness of Shur. By the end of the third day, they were tired and thirsty, and their water supply was all dried up. Just in time they found a water source, but a quick examination of the watering hole proved the water too bitter to drink. Totally in tune with human nature, the Israelites forgot about God’s powerful provision just three days earlier, instead focusing upon the cruel trick of being led to a source of water totally incapable of satisfying their thirst. Fortunately, God showed mercy to Moses and the people of Israel, turning the water sweet after the Israelites thrust a tree into the water at God’s command.

When we read this story, we may be tempted to criticize the children of Israel for grumbling and complaining so soon after God proved just how capable He is of providing. But we should not in pride condemn them. We should in humility identify with them, seeing our own weakness of faith reflected in them. We have all experienced instances of God’s miraculous provision in our lives, but we quickly forget about them. When the next trial comes, we grumble and complain rather than trust. We shouldn’t murmur against God; we should depend on God! We should know that if He allows us to become a little thirsty in our lives, it is for our own good because trials – as Romans 5:3-4 and James 1:3-4 teach us – produce patience, long-suffering, meekness, and righteousness. In other words, trials make us more like Christ, they make our character more complete, and they make us more capable of living according to God’s purposes in our lives.

We can be calm during times of trial when we know that the trials are for our good. When we are far from God, however, we will do nothing but complain, fight God’s efforts to mold us into His image through trial, and distance ourselves from the love of God we so desperately need.