Bitter-Sweet

Over the last couple weeks or so, I've had to fight for my peace of mind. From short bouts of illness, to the death of a friend and my own internal warfare of the mind, In this time, I have grown to rely on the promise that 'God's grace is sufficient.' So we've got to glory in the bad times as well as the good. For it is easy to be happy when times are good, but joy must manifest when times are bad, because it is then that we look to our Lord, Saviour, Redeemer, and the God of all comfort. For instance,

How would you that God is healer, if you've never been sick?
How would you know that what getting up felt like, if you've never been knocked down?
How would you know appreciate what you have, if you've never gone without?

These are all questions that the suffering Christian must ponder. Why would you look toward a heavenly home if this earth were a bed of roses? So we shift our perspective, and we pick up our crosses and head to Golgotha by way of Gethsemane and Gabbatha, on this Via Dolorosa.

I love writing these blog posts because I get to encourage myself as I push through the process and hopefully, I get to encourage others as well.

Something else that stood out to me, these past few weeks  were the names: Marah and Elim.

If you remember the story of Ruth, Naomi remarks that her name is no longer Naomi but Mara, for the Lord had dealt bitterly with me (Ruth 1). Marah is also mentioned in the Book of Exodus, Chapter 15 (Exodus 15:22-27). The Israelites were in the wilderness and came upon Marah- a place of bitter waters.

Like, a lot of us Christians, whose memories sometime fail us, they forgot that the same God who brought them to and through the Red Sea could do anything, and had they had enough faith they would have seen the sweet in the bitter. So they murmured with Moses (Poor Moses- opposition left, right and center)!

Moses looked to God who showed him a tree that when thrown into the water made it sweet- bittersweet. Selah.

God has the power to turn bitter things sweet, if we just hold on. But this, my friend, was only a foretaste of things to come. When they journeyed a little further, they came to Elim- the place of Twelve Waters and Three Score and Ten (70) palm trees. Selah..

Note here that, twelve, in the Bible is the number of completion and according to Matthew Henry's Commentary- one for each tribe so they didn't have to fight over it, and there were trees to shade them from the heat. Isn't the LORD wonderful?

"Though God may, for a time, order his people to encamp by the waters of Marah, yet that shall not always be their lot. See how changeable our condition is in this world, from better to worse, from worse to better."- Matthew Henry (Matthew Henry Commentary).

Let us now hear the conclusion of the matter. Though for a time we are faced with momentary trials (2 Corinthians 4) , we are comforted by the fact that it would not be our portion forever, Great is Thy faithfulness!