April 29, 2013

OUR SHORT-TERM MEMORY

Exodus 15

Peter Dang
Monday's Devo

April 29, 2013

Monday's Devo

April 29, 2013

Central Truth

We are quick to forget God's abundant blessings when new trials arise. The correct response is not to complain, but to remember God's faithfulness in our times of trouble.

Key Verse | Exodus 15:24–25

So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. (Exodus 15:24-25)

Exodus 15

The Song of Moses

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying,

“I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
    the horse and his rider 1 15:1 Or its chariot; also verse 21 he has thrown into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a man of war;
    the LORD is his name.

Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
    and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
The floods covered them;
    they went down into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,
    your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.
In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
    you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
    the floods stood up in a heap;
    the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake,
    I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
    I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
10  You blew with your wind; the sea covered them;
    they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11  Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
12  You stretched out your right hand;
    the earth swallowed them.

13  You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
    you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14  The peoples have heard; they tremble;
    pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15  Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed;
    trembling seizes the leaders of Moab;
    all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
16  Terror and dread fall upon them;
    because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone,
till your people, O LORD, pass by,
    till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
17  You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain,
    the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode,
    the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
18  The LORD will reign forever and ever.”

19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Bitter Water Made Sweet

22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 2 15:23 Marah means bitterness 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, 3 15:25 Or tree and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the LORD 4 15:25 Hebrew he made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

Footnotes

[1] 15:1 Or its chariot; also verse 21
[2] 15:23 Marah means bitterness
[3] 15:25 Or tree
[4] 15:25 Hebrew he

Dive Deeper | Exodus 15

In Exodus 15, the Israelites experience an amazing display of God's power. Moses and the Israelites run into a dead end with the Egyptians roaring towards them. However, God comes to the rescue and literally splits the Red Sea for them to escape. He then closes it back up on Pharaoh's army. How spectacular would it have been to see this event unfold? Yet, after the Israelites praised God for providing protection (15:1-21), they quickly grumble when the water was bitter at Marah. The "Red Sea Miracle" happened just three days before this! How could they complain so readily after being rescued from so much?

I often find myself fitting in with those grumblers. About a year ago, I was rejected by dental school. All I had ever dreamed of doing was to use dentistry as an evangelism tool. When I did not get in, I questioned God. Why would He do this to me? A friend encouraged me to work on the evangelism part with the time I was given. I got plugged into Watermark and have been blessed in every aspect of my life. I have been given leadership responsibilities, the conversations with my family have deepened, and I received a higher score after retaking the dental entrance exam. I am immensely blessed, but I still grumble when small inconveniences occur.

In my selfishness, I am like the Israelites who worried about their immediate needs. I often whine about my trials instead of standing in awe of His blessings. The appropriate response in these trials is to use them as opportunities to mature in my faith (James 1:2-4). If God takes care of the sparrows and flowers, He will undoubtedly take care of me (Matthew 6:25-33). When we are standing in the valleys, it is important to praise God for His faithfulness. He revealed His faithfulness to Israel as He transformed the bitter water into sweet water. Christ saved me from death just as God saved the Israelites. How can I complain so readily after Christ rescued me from so much?

Discussion Questions

1. When do you most often think about God's blessings?

2. How do you respond when trials arise in your life?

3. Can you think of people in the Bible who "struggled well"? How did God show His faithfulness to them?