The Lord Who Heals

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert
of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.
When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it
was bitter. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are
we to drink?" Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed
him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became
sweet. Then the Lord made a decree and a law for them, and there he
tested them. He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your
God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands
and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought
on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." Then they came to
Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they
camped there near the water. Exodus 15:19-26

Last Wednesday night this was the focal passage of our lesson at church. And to a lot of people, it might seem like just another story from the Bible. But I have to tell you - this one reached out and grabbed me. I have been trying to think about how I could blog about this since Wednesday, and I still don't think that I have the right words. I am definitely not comparing my life's journey to that of the Israelites. They endured so much more than what I have. But I could see myself on this same type of journey - just downsized. I have been to Marah - which means bitter. I got there after several months of trying to have a baby. And I have partaken of the bitter water. And there was more grumbling on my part than I care to confess. But God has given us a miracle. He placed something in our lives that would take the bitter out of our journey. It wasn't a piece of wood, of course, but the result was the same. And the most hopeful part of the passage of me was the trip to Elim. I don't think we are there yet. I am not sure when I will get to Elim, but I believe I will get there. God is the Lord who heals you. And I am so thankful for that healing power.