TASTE OF THE WATER
"And David said with longing, 'Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" - 2Sam 23:15
It is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit rather than coincidence that this piece coincide with the World Water Day (22nd March). It has been said that water is life and no one can ignore its importance to healthy living in the society. To lose water is to risk death, and if one does not pay attention to the quality of water one takes, disease outbreak such as typhoid or cholera can set in.
Basic science teaches us that water should be colourless, tasteless and odourless; but I am not sure that all water are tasteless, as a mater of fact, I think there is a kind of taste we get from different sources of water, it is not too common to find water without taste, especially in the rural communities. The water in my house refreshes me more because it is different, perhaps the difference is because of taste.
Taking a spiritual angle to the case of water, I would like to draw your attention to the longing of David, who tasted for water from his home town. Our lives will draw a close similarity with the waters we drink from, it is important to point us to the fact that at different stages of our lives, the turn of events or circumstances can be best illustrated with water. David needed refreshing, he remembered the waters of Bethlehem, men risked their lives to give David that water.
If you are in distress, and life seem a little difficult, the things that will bring relieve can be liken to the refreshing water brings to a dry soul. When one lacks water in his or her, life will be hard, it will lack meaning; no one can really survive without water, perhaps can survive without food, but to live a life without water is a death sentence.
CALL ME MARA
"But she said to them, 'Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?'" - Ruth 1:20-21
Remember that the first incidence of 'Marah' was at the wilderness when the children of Israel found water but could not drink because it was bitter (Exo 15:22-27); they knew that to drink the waters of Marah was to take poison so their situation was worse than they thought, they thought from afar that a solution had been found, but it turned out that this solution just had an appearance; it doesn't solve anything.
Naomi, went out of the land full of life and hope seeking for greener pastures, she had sweet water in her before leaving, but coming back, she had been drained of everything pleasant or that represented such, she quickly announced a change of name, she recalled the wilderness experience and lamented that she has gotten to her own Mara, her family was gone, age was not on her side to rebuild a family, what else but Mara.
The situation of Naomi, may be your present situation now, everything that was sweet may have turned sour and bitter, like Naomi, the things that add taste to your life have suddenly disappeared and you have changed your name - it is not pleasant, you are not happy, frustrated yes you came back, but there is shame to this coming back. People wanted to know if this was the same Naomi, she had the face, but looking intently, they needed to be sure, the wrinkles on her face were not graceful, it turned out that the wrinkles came through bitterness of the soul.
"Then the men of the city said to Elisha, 'Please, notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.'" - 2Kings 2:19
They said the land is pleasant, maybe because of the infrastructure, but really what can be good about a land that has bad water, if a land has bad water, barrenness is also a byproduct. The water could not be drunk, what is pleasant about that land. Many carry beautiful faces, made up by cosmetics but behind their smile is Mara, you keep up a face and think that you can hide your frailties; but truly, you know that your soul isn't pleasant.
Anytime we find ourselves in the situation of Mara, it is not the end of the road, God still had a plan for Naomi despite her resolve to change her name, in that Naomi God needed to bring forth something pleasant, your situation is not beyond God; the things that look bitter today can turn around if God steps in. He is the creator of life, He created water - if it turns bad, He can make it good.
They brought the matter to prophet Elisha, by divine unction he moved into the situation of the city and a rescue mission was carried out. Elisha said 'bring me a new bowl'; if you desire sweetness from your situation, you must come new, bring your matters on a fresh slate, not with regrets and complains, but with revitalised hope that your waters will be healed. You can't keep putting up a face at the expense of your pain; that is not faith, that is pretense; faith is not denial of the present, but a calling forth of the desired!
THIS IS SWEETER
"When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, 'Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!'" - John 2:9-10
It is possible that you have experienced some level of good water and as you advance in age, you have thought to yourself that you do not deserve to get it sweeter, you have consoled yourself that you can't always have it sweet, but the truth is that God doesn't operate with that your mentality. It is only men who think that everyone will bring out the best from the start.
You may have started your marriage well and because of the way your wedding went, the excitement was obvious to everyone, and you have started to think 'it should fade', the people have had enough of your 'show', they think that should be the norm; but really, this is only the mentality of men, if you bring your marriage to Jesus, bring that your water - you will realise that it can only get sweeter.
The Psalmist said, 'taste and see'; you must come to the point where you will by faith taste water that comes from the Lord, for it is indeed good and it refreshes the soul, you didn't keep it until now, they assumed so - it is just that when you turned to God at a corner, it became a bend to another level of sweetness. The waters of your life can be sweeter than now if you believe God; the latter will be greater than the former - believe the Word of the Lord and walk in that obedience. It is going to be sweeter.
"So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them" - Exo 15:26
How I pray you understand that there is a healing that can satisfy your bitter soul, I pray that you know today, that there is no situation that is over. When they complained to Moses, he cried to God. Stop complaining and cry to God in prayers, that bitter or ordinary water can be made sweet. They said water should be tasteless but this water became sweet and yes, it was healthy!
It was made sweet, because God works beyond our expectation, this is not artificial sweetness, as some people would rather take sugary drinks in place of water, but this may be harmful to the health in the long run; but the ordinary things of your life can be made sweet without side effect - yes, He is the One who blesses and add no sorrow to it.
Don't forget that it is in obedience that we experience the sweetness of the water. If you don't obey, you will not know the miracle ahead. The scripture opens our understanding that in that same place, where it had been Marah, God gave them twelve wells of water (sweet one) and seventy palm trees, so they could camp there. Even if the circumstances of the world is bad, God can make your water sweet in the midst of all, he gave them palm trees that represented the healing. What will turn your bitter water to sweetness is available even in the midst of hardship. God is that kind of God!
WATER FROM THE ROCK
"'Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock of Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.' And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." - Exo 17:6
In the most unlikely places, the Lord can cause water to come out for you in order to sustain you. The rock lacks moisture of any kind and it is indeed unthinkable to seek water from such a source; but the truth is that, for your sake and sustainability, the Lord will stand there for you. Though they tested the Lord with that request but a mighty God who cannot be limited by the thoughts of men, would arise in your situation in the most unlikely manner to sooth you dry soul.
Do not think that God is not with you in that wilderness, to prove that it is just a phase, He will give you water. Don't fret, don't fear, the same God of the old testament is the same God of the new, nothing has changed with Him, He can do the same for you. The fear of survival made them tempt God that day; and though they got their water but the place was called Massah and Meribah. Why not get your own water from Trust rather than complains.
Just take your rod in your hand, the name of Jesus is the instrument, the rod by which we demonstrate the power of God in the new testament, you don't even need to be angry, just believe that in the driest of situation that name will gush out water for you - He has not failed before, He will not fail now. I long for that water from the rock.
"and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." - 1Cor 10:4
We have Jesus, the Rock of Ages to always drink from, we have Jesus who was present with the Israelite in the wilderness and still present with us in this situation. He invites you to drink of Him if only you are thirsty, this drink is the living water. It will satisfy and quench your thirst beyond what you can imagine.
The Samaritan woman by the well, thought that she had a solution to her thirst, because of the well of Jacob, she thought her satisfaction was by inheritance and constantly she came to that well for water, she had been through a lot, but she always come to that well for a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Thank God for Jesus who is the permanent solution and sat by the temporary solution. He said if He offered her water - she would thirst no more!
Dear friend, there is a Rock in Jesus that constantly flow in our situations and we are no longer desperate for survival, He satisfies the thirsty soul permanently without side effect, even when life seem hard, we realise that when we turn to the Rock - it flows out. This water He gives is life indeed and cannot be mistaken. If you haven't drank from Him - He is saying come!
CONCLUSION:
If the taste of your life is bitter, He can make it sweet, if you have accepted the normal, He can make it sweeter, if you don't know the source of life, come to the Rock and drink to have life.
God bless you, I love you and happy Water Day 😊
Akinsuroju Femi
© The Fundamentals
It is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit rather than coincidence that this piece coincide with the World Water Day (22nd March). It has been said that water is life and no one can ignore its importance to healthy living in the society. To lose water is to risk death, and if one does not pay attention to the quality of water one takes, disease outbreak such as typhoid or cholera can set in.
Basic science teaches us that water should be colourless, tasteless and odourless; but I am not sure that all water are tasteless, as a mater of fact, I think there is a kind of taste we get from different sources of water, it is not too common to find water without taste, especially in the rural communities. The water in my house refreshes me more because it is different, perhaps the difference is because of taste.
Taking a spiritual angle to the case of water, I would like to draw your attention to the longing of David, who tasted for water from his home town. Our lives will draw a close similarity with the waters we drink from, it is important to point us to the fact that at different stages of our lives, the turn of events or circumstances can be best illustrated with water. David needed refreshing, he remembered the waters of Bethlehem, men risked their lives to give David that water.
If you are in distress, and life seem a little difficult, the things that will bring relieve can be liken to the refreshing water brings to a dry soul. When one lacks water in his or her, life will be hard, it will lack meaning; no one can really survive without water, perhaps can survive without food, but to live a life without water is a death sentence.
CALL ME MARA
"But she said to them, 'Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?'" - Ruth 1:20-21
Remember that the first incidence of 'Marah' was at the wilderness when the children of Israel found water but could not drink because it was bitter (Exo 15:22-27); they knew that to drink the waters of Marah was to take poison so their situation was worse than they thought, they thought from afar that a solution had been found, but it turned out that this solution just had an appearance; it doesn't solve anything.
Naomi, went out of the land full of life and hope seeking for greener pastures, she had sweet water in her before leaving, but coming back, she had been drained of everything pleasant or that represented such, she quickly announced a change of name, she recalled the wilderness experience and lamented that she has gotten to her own Mara, her family was gone, age was not on her side to rebuild a family, what else but Mara.
The situation of Naomi, may be your present situation now, everything that was sweet may have turned sour and bitter, like Naomi, the things that add taste to your life have suddenly disappeared and you have changed your name - it is not pleasant, you are not happy, frustrated yes you came back, but there is shame to this coming back. People wanted to know if this was the same Naomi, she had the face, but looking intently, they needed to be sure, the wrinkles on her face were not graceful, it turned out that the wrinkles came through bitterness of the soul.
"Then the men of the city said to Elisha, 'Please, notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.'" - 2Kings 2:19
They said the land is pleasant, maybe because of the infrastructure, but really what can be good about a land that has bad water, if a land has bad water, barrenness is also a byproduct. The water could not be drunk, what is pleasant about that land. Many carry beautiful faces, made up by cosmetics but behind their smile is Mara, you keep up a face and think that you can hide your frailties; but truly, you know that your soul isn't pleasant.
Anytime we find ourselves in the situation of Mara, it is not the end of the road, God still had a plan for Naomi despite her resolve to change her name, in that Naomi God needed to bring forth something pleasant, your situation is not beyond God; the things that look bitter today can turn around if God steps in. He is the creator of life, He created water - if it turns bad, He can make it good.
They brought the matter to prophet Elisha, by divine unction he moved into the situation of the city and a rescue mission was carried out. Elisha said 'bring me a new bowl'; if you desire sweetness from your situation, you must come new, bring your matters on a fresh slate, not with regrets and complains, but with revitalised hope that your waters will be healed. You can't keep putting up a face at the expense of your pain; that is not faith, that is pretense; faith is not denial of the present, but a calling forth of the desired!
THIS IS SWEETER
"When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, 'Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!'" - John 2:9-10
It is possible that you have experienced some level of good water and as you advance in age, you have thought to yourself that you do not deserve to get it sweeter, you have consoled yourself that you can't always have it sweet, but the truth is that God doesn't operate with that your mentality. It is only men who think that everyone will bring out the best from the start.
You may have started your marriage well and because of the way your wedding went, the excitement was obvious to everyone, and you have started to think 'it should fade', the people have had enough of your 'show', they think that should be the norm; but really, this is only the mentality of men, if you bring your marriage to Jesus, bring that your water - you will realise that it can only get sweeter.
The Psalmist said, 'taste and see'; you must come to the point where you will by faith taste water that comes from the Lord, for it is indeed good and it refreshes the soul, you didn't keep it until now, they assumed so - it is just that when you turned to God at a corner, it became a bend to another level of sweetness. The waters of your life can be sweeter than now if you believe God; the latter will be greater than the former - believe the Word of the Lord and walk in that obedience. It is going to be sweeter.
"So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them" - Exo 15:26
How I pray you understand that there is a healing that can satisfy your bitter soul, I pray that you know today, that there is no situation that is over. When they complained to Moses, he cried to God. Stop complaining and cry to God in prayers, that bitter or ordinary water can be made sweet. They said water should be tasteless but this water became sweet and yes, it was healthy!
It was made sweet, because God works beyond our expectation, this is not artificial sweetness, as some people would rather take sugary drinks in place of water, but this may be harmful to the health in the long run; but the ordinary things of your life can be made sweet without side effect - yes, He is the One who blesses and add no sorrow to it.
Don't forget that it is in obedience that we experience the sweetness of the water. If you don't obey, you will not know the miracle ahead. The scripture opens our understanding that in that same place, where it had been Marah, God gave them twelve wells of water (sweet one) and seventy palm trees, so they could camp there. Even if the circumstances of the world is bad, God can make your water sweet in the midst of all, he gave them palm trees that represented the healing. What will turn your bitter water to sweetness is available even in the midst of hardship. God is that kind of God!
WATER FROM THE ROCK
"'Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock of Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.' And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." - Exo 17:6
In the most unlikely places, the Lord can cause water to come out for you in order to sustain you. The rock lacks moisture of any kind and it is indeed unthinkable to seek water from such a source; but the truth is that, for your sake and sustainability, the Lord will stand there for you. Though they tested the Lord with that request but a mighty God who cannot be limited by the thoughts of men, would arise in your situation in the most unlikely manner to sooth you dry soul.
Do not think that God is not with you in that wilderness, to prove that it is just a phase, He will give you water. Don't fret, don't fear, the same God of the old testament is the same God of the new, nothing has changed with Him, He can do the same for you. The fear of survival made them tempt God that day; and though they got their water but the place was called Massah and Meribah. Why not get your own water from Trust rather than complains.
Just take your rod in your hand, the name of Jesus is the instrument, the rod by which we demonstrate the power of God in the new testament, you don't even need to be angry, just believe that in the driest of situation that name will gush out water for you - He has not failed before, He will not fail now. I long for that water from the rock.
"and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." - 1Cor 10:4
We have Jesus, the Rock of Ages to always drink from, we have Jesus who was present with the Israelite in the wilderness and still present with us in this situation. He invites you to drink of Him if only you are thirsty, this drink is the living water. It will satisfy and quench your thirst beyond what you can imagine.
The Samaritan woman by the well, thought that she had a solution to her thirst, because of the well of Jacob, she thought her satisfaction was by inheritance and constantly she came to that well for water, she had been through a lot, but she always come to that well for a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Thank God for Jesus who is the permanent solution and sat by the temporary solution. He said if He offered her water - she would thirst no more!
Dear friend, there is a Rock in Jesus that constantly flow in our situations and we are no longer desperate for survival, He satisfies the thirsty soul permanently without side effect, even when life seem hard, we realise that when we turn to the Rock - it flows out. This water He gives is life indeed and cannot be mistaken. If you haven't drank from Him - He is saying come!
CONCLUSION:
If the taste of your life is bitter, He can make it sweet, if you have accepted the normal, He can make it sweeter, if you don't know the source of life, come to the Rock and drink to have life.
God bless you, I love you and happy Water Day 😊
Akinsuroju Femi
© The Fundamentals
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