Come to Know, So You Can Learn to Trust

Have you ever felt like God got it wrong?
You thought He was working things out (and you were excited)  but they fell apart and left you wondering what in the world He was up to.  Maybe you've asked God, "Wasn't I following/doing/saying what You wanted me to?  Why did this happen?"
Ever been there?

The Israelites were in that exact spot three days after they walked through the water on dry ground.  Exodus 15:22 says that for three days the Israelites followed the pillar of cloud/fire, that represented God's presence with them, into the desert without finding water.  When they finally saw water at a place called *Marah they thought they were saved, but the water was bitter/salty and they couldn't drink it.

I think one of the greatest challenges to faith is unmet expectations.  You think God is going to do something and He doesn't meet your expectation and leaves you questioning His presence or effectiveness or interest in your situation.

But let's take a deeper look.

For 430 years the Israelites had been a captive forced labor work-force for the Egyptians.  Then Moses shows up and they get a front-row-seat to God's power as He "motivates" the Egyptian government to let His people go.  The Israelites began to understand that God cared for them but they didn't really know Him first hand and their faith was only in it's infancy.  They watched God do things, but you don't develop faith from the safety of your living room or front porch.  So God sets them free and they leave Egypt.  Now they get to know God a little better, after all, He's personally leading them out of Egypt in a "pillar" of cloud during the day and fire at night - pretty impressive.  So they know that He is personally involved in their release.  But He leads them to the sea where they soon realize there is no escape from the approaching Egyptian army (um, they changed their minds about their free-labor friends).  They expected God to deliver them but it looked like they were going to be killed.  So they question God.  Then God parts the waters and the Israelites get away from the Egyptians!  They come to know God as a protector and they begin to trust Him more.

Every step of the way God had to help them know Him a little more so they could trust Him a little more.  Knowledge and trust are close friends.

So the Israelites are now passed the point of no return.  They will be held responsible for the death of hundreds or maybe thousands of Egyptian military personnel if they return to their forced labor duties.  And, they are three days out in the desert without enough water to make it home even if they wanted to go back.  And waters of Marah, which they thought would allow them to refill their jugs and water their animals is unsuitable for drink.  What to do now?

What would you do in a situation like that?  They complained.  They expected God to meet their impending water need.  But He didn't.  So they complained.  Then God tells Moses to take a stick and throw it in the water.  When Moses obeys (obedience is the part we play in coming to know God and trust Him) the water turns sweet.  A fresh water source from a salt-water pond.  That's called a miracle.  God did it (not the stick or Moses) and the people came to know Him a little better.

You can't learn faith from the comfort of your front porch or even from down the street.  You have got to be three days out with too little water and no hope.  That's a whole new level of trust.

The next time you think God has got it wrong, consider the alternative.  He knows exactly what He's doing getting you farther from home so that you come to know Him in a new way so that you can trust Him at a new level.

Pack your bags.

*Marah means bitter - fitting isn't it.