Morning Moments

THE WAY

Exodus 15:22
[22] So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

As we look more closely at this Song of Moses, we must see the way Israel travelled:
1. Through the Red Sea
2. From the Red Sea
3. To the Wilderness of Shur

They had been delivered from the bondage of Egypt, just as we have been delivered from the bondage of sin as believers in Jesus Christ. The armies of Pharaoh pursued them, Moses led them, and God protected them. They came to the sea and Moses struck the water with the Rod of God and the water parted so that they were able to go through without so much as getting their feet wet. From the Red Sea they journeyed into the Wilderness of Shur where they found no water.

Shur was the wilderness region of the Sinai Peninsula east of Egypt’s Nile Delta and west of the Negev. In the ancient world, a caravan route passed through this region from Egypt to Palestine. Abraham lived for a time between Shur and Kadesh (Genesis 20:1), and it was part of the territory occupied by the Ishmaelites (25:18). After crossing the Red Sea, Moses led Israel on a three-day trek through this arid wasteland (Exodus 15:22). King Saul of Israel (1020-1000 BC) conquered the Amalekites in the vicinity of Shur (1 Samuel 15:7), and later David (1000-961 BC) defeated the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites here (27:8). The wilderness of Etham in Numbers 33:8 is identical with the wilderness of Shur.

Life has its dry spots when heaven seems brass and God seems to have vanished. The key word is seems because Heaven is open to the believer and God is always present and working. These moments of crisis are to become moments of confidence for the true believer. Faith doesn’t always have feelings. There can be no doubt that in those dry moments of this journey with Jesus the enemy of our soul is screaming or sometimes just whispering, “God has left you and you are on your own”. THAT is a flat contradiction of the Word of God and it is with the Word of God that we must face the enemy.

Jesus said to Satan, “It is written…” and that is the way for us also. We can’t go back for the water is too deep and the Lord will not make a way for us to do that. We must go forward without complaining that we are without water when we are with God. Paul said, “…My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” That is all we need! It is enough! We serve a promise keeping God who is over the enemy, the environment, and the elements.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink! The sea was salty and insufficient to quench the thirst, just as this world can never satisfy the desire of the disciple of Jesus. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.

You want water? Then “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled”. You want water? “If any man thirst,” said Jesus, “let him come unto me and drink and out of his innermost being shall come torrents of living water.” This is God's way through life wilderness with its dry moments.

Drink from the water of life FREELY!

BLESSINGS!