Water from the Rock
Greetings in the Lord!
Today's word comes from Exodus 17 and Isaiah 43:18-21 and has to do with God's provision even when we are in the "desolate" places of our life. The Lord delights to bring forth water from the rock; sustenance and newness out of barrenness and deadness.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honor Me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to My people, My chosen, the people I formed for Myself that they may proclaim My praise." Isaiah 43:18-21.
That's very encouraging, isn't it? God is doing a new thing, even in the most barren and most dead places--new life, refreshment, and living water! Hallelujah!
There is, however, a bigger picture to see here, as Exodus 17 points out. In that passage we find the Israelites wandering through the desert following the cloud by day and fire by night. They arrive in Rephidim and are thirsty, but there is no water to be found there and they grumbled against Moses, and in effect, God. They were impatient and critical about God's provision, questioning His wisdom in leading them there, and doubting His very presence with them. They became quarrelsome with Moses and arrogantly demanded that he do something to help them.
So God had Moses strike the rock and out came water for them to drink. The people were refreshed with the outpouring of the miraculous water and then were able to gather strength to overcome the attacking Amalekites. As for Moses, he was on the overlooking rock with his hands held up to God petitioning Him for victory, and by day's end "Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword."
Therefore, we can see that provision came on the heels of testing, and defeat over their enemies after humble petitioning to God for victory. The new thing God does often comes at the complete destruction of the former things we relied on; the things we trusted in other than God. Israel was being weaned off of their reliance on Egypt and learning to rely on God alone--and they were not always gracious and teachable learners! But alas, the field must be cleared, rocks removed, the soil tilled, then finally, the planting of new seed and watering of the ground for the potential of a harvest. No step along the way can be omitted.
It was hard for Israel to see God's plan in their wanderings, just as it is often difficult for us as well, but we know, "from the test comes the testimony." So we can be encouraged by the word today, that whatever you've been going through in the past season, God's hand was surely in it doing His perfect work in us to prepare us for the new thing He's doing in our lives and on earth. It's time to band together and do our part, whether that be like Moses, Aaron, and Hur and raise our hands to God, or like Joshua, and be out on the battlefield obediently doing what we're called to do to advance the kingdom of heaven on earth. Let's thank God for His perfect work being done in and through us and get into agreement for the new things God has in store.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Today's word comes from Exodus 17 and Isaiah 43:18-21 and has to do with God's provision even when we are in the "desolate" places of our life. The Lord delights to bring forth water from the rock; sustenance and newness out of barrenness and deadness.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honor Me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to My people, My chosen, the people I formed for Myself that they may proclaim My praise." Isaiah 43:18-21.
That's very encouraging, isn't it? God is doing a new thing, even in the most barren and most dead places--new life, refreshment, and living water! Hallelujah!
There is, however, a bigger picture to see here, as Exodus 17 points out. In that passage we find the Israelites wandering through the desert following the cloud by day and fire by night. They arrive in Rephidim and are thirsty, but there is no water to be found there and they grumbled against Moses, and in effect, God. They were impatient and critical about God's provision, questioning His wisdom in leading them there, and doubting His very presence with them. They became quarrelsome with Moses and arrogantly demanded that he do something to help them.
So God had Moses strike the rock and out came water for them to drink. The people were refreshed with the outpouring of the miraculous water and then were able to gather strength to overcome the attacking Amalekites. As for Moses, he was on the overlooking rock with his hands held up to God petitioning Him for victory, and by day's end "Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword."
Therefore, we can see that provision came on the heels of testing, and defeat over their enemies after humble petitioning to God for victory. The new thing God does often comes at the complete destruction of the former things we relied on; the things we trusted in other than God. Israel was being weaned off of their reliance on Egypt and learning to rely on God alone--and they were not always gracious and teachable learners! But alas, the field must be cleared, rocks removed, the soil tilled, then finally, the planting of new seed and watering of the ground for the potential of a harvest. No step along the way can be omitted.
It was hard for Israel to see God's plan in their wanderings, just as it is often difficult for us as well, but we know, "from the test comes the testimony." So we can be encouraged by the word today, that whatever you've been going through in the past season, God's hand was surely in it doing His perfect work in us to prepare us for the new thing He's doing in our lives and on earth. It's time to band together and do our part, whether that be like Moses, Aaron, and Hur and raise our hands to God, or like Joshua, and be out on the battlefield obediently doing what we're called to do to advance the kingdom of heaven on earth. Let's thank God for His perfect work being done in and through us and get into agreement for the new things God has in store.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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