Sunday Soaking: Thirst Prompts Grumbling

But the people were thirsty for water there,
and they grumbled against Moses. They said,
“Why did you bring us up out of Egypt
to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
Exodus 17:3

A first reading of the people grumbling against Moses might have us paint the scene with a wide brush of judgment:

• Moses: loving well and leading well
• Israelites: whiners, grumblers, and ungrateful

But as I look a second time and point a finger at those Israelites, I come to realize I AM those people.

Fear brings out the worst in us. Fear prompts us to respond poorly and to look for someone to blame.

The presence of a deep need eclipses everything else. This need — the thirst for water in the desert — was a life-or-death situation for the Israelites, their children, and their livestock.

Those of us living in the 21^st-century western world can find it difficult to truly understand thirst. We work outside for a couple of hours and declare, “I’m dying of thirst.” But we’re not literally dying.

God’s people in the wilderness were facing death if water was not found. As they contemplated death from thirst or slavery in Egypt, they began to regret following Moses across the bed of the Red Sea.

I’m humbled to realize I am really no different than those I dubbed, “whiners.” When customer service representatives are less than helpful, when I feel wronged or unappreciated, when things don’t go my way … I can be guilty of grumbling inside (and sometimes outside, too).

Hundreds of years may have passed since this wilderness whining, but human nature — specifically, this human’s nature — has not changed.

Here are some takeaways that come as I pray over this passage:

1. A great need — even a very serious physical need — is not a license to complain and criticize.
2. It’s not only human nature to look for someone to blame, the one we blame is often the one who loves us unconditionally and more than all others. It’s why children hold it together for their teacher but act up for mom and dad. It’s why a bad day at work might lead to a spat over dinner with our spouse. It’s why the people blamed Moses.
3. Looking out instead of up leads to despair. If I fixate on the problem, I will naturally criticize, condemn, and blame — and still be thirsty! I must look UP, to the one who knows me best, loves me most, has the power to meet my need, and can use this hard thing to draw me to deeper faith and trust in Himself.

What is your great need today? How could God not only meet that need, but bolster your faith through the process?

Is it time to stop grumbling and start praying?

This week, our devotional comes from Mollie Duddleston, Director of Ministry Operations & Women’s Ministry at Cross Church. We hope you’ll listen as Mollie shares her thoughts on Nehemiah 9:15, a verse from our July Write the WORD bookmark, and encourages us to be intentional in reminding ourselves and others how God faithfully fulfills His promises to His people.

If you have not yet, we invite you to download this month’s free bookmark and S.O.A.P. Bible study pages, and join us for our study of THIRST during July.