"Drink the Living Water"

Meditation on Exodus 17:1-7 and Psalm 95

March 23, 2014

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    From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’

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     My youngest child, James, turned 21 this week. And, as my children’s birthdays often lead me to do, I found myself recalling memories of when my kids were little—and when my life was so different than it is today.

     I remember that James was a good baby, an easy child, compared to his two older brothers.  James slept through the night before he was three months old and, unlike his oldest brother, he curled up with his “blanky” and took a nap every afternoon and still had no problem falling asleep at a reasonable hour at night. He rarely got sick, always had a good appetite and wasn’t picky about food, though he didn’t like Spaghettios, Cheerios, or peanut butter sandwiches. He got along with his brothers most of the time, made friends easily, and seldom cried, unless he was hurt and needed help.

    I was grateful to the Lord that James was an easy baby because when he was born, we had three kids under the age of 5.  In those days, I often felt overwhelmed and exhausted as a young mother, whose work was never done.  

    I made it harder for myself because I wanted to be the best mother in the world. I read Christian child-rearing books and eagerly listened to “expert advice” from mothers of older children. It didn’t always help, though, especially when the advice ended with the ominous, “Just wait until your kids are teenagers. You better enjoy them now!”

    I couldn’t help but compare my three boys to my brother’s two girls and wonder why my kids were not proceeding through the same developmental milestones as quickly as my precocious nieces. Was it because of my parenting skills—or lack thereof? Some days, it seemed what my three boys did best was fight with each other and break things. In a way, I am glad Facebook wasn’t invented, yet, because I probably would have been intimidated by all the photos of smiling families enjoying quality time together.

    My attitude finally began to change—and I began to have more grace and patience with myself—when a friend listened as I shared my struggles with parenting and reassured me that God had a plan for my children and me.  That the Lord God, Maker of all, never makes mistakes. He had chosen me to be their mother—and them to be my sons. And though I felt woefully inadequate, God would supply all of my needs—including wisdom, strength, patience, hope, and joy. God would supply all that my children needed, too. 

       This was a different way of looking at “needs” and God’s provision for me. I had only thought of material needs before and had not realized the importance of the gifts of the Spirit for parenting, gifts that come to us beginning at our own baptism.  The Spirit continues to grow these gifts in us and work in our hearts as we keep drinking of the Living Water—seeking Christ daily to satisfy our spiritual thirst.

***

     In our Exodus reading today, we learn of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the God who continues to graciously and miraculously provide for them. Often when we study this passage we focus on Israel’s bad treatment of Moses. We talk about how trials lead Israel to remember the past with rose-colored glasses. Their former life as slaves in Egypt, they insist, would be better than perishing of thirst in the wilderness!

    We feel sorry for Moses, who cries out to the Lord, “What shall I do with THESE PEOPLE? They are almost ready to stone me!”

    And yet, there is an important message here that may be overlooked—and that is Moses’ crisis of faith.  In the account of the same incident in Numbers 20:2-13, God deals harshly with Moses and Aaron because of their failure to trust in the Lord—that God was still in control and that God’s holiness would be shown through the wilderness trials and quarrels. In spite of everything they have been through, Moses and Aaron will not be the ones to bring Israel into the Promised Land.

      In Psalm 95, the psalmist reminds us of the importance of worship and obedience, using the story of the Israelites quarreling in the wilderness as an example of what not to do. He praises the “rock of our salvation,” who is “a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

     “O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!  For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! 

   Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

   as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,  when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  For forty years I loathed that generation    and said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.’  Therefore in my anger I swore,    ‘They shall not enter my rest.’

     

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       Friends, I can’t tell you what a difference it made in my life—when I began to trust, as a young adult, that my Good Shepherd was in control and would care for His sheep throughout the chaotic and difficult times. That he had a good plan for my family. And like Israel struggling with trials in the wilderness, in my moments of great need, God’s holiness would be shown.

       But it was important for me to remember, in my tiredness and in the busy-ness of life as a young parent, to make time to drink of the Living Water. I had to make time for prayer, scripture reading, worship and fellowship with other Christians.  I found it especially helpful to be in a young women’s Bible study. And when there wasn’t one in my area, I started one in my home and invited my neighbors.

      On Sunday, it was a lot of work getting the family ready for church. The diaper bag was fully packed with not just clothes, diapers, and wipes, but snacks, drinks, books and quiet toys. Sometimes, we would drive to church 25-30 minutes away and the baby, who slept the whole way there, would start to fuss as soon as we pulled into the parking lot. I would miss much of the service trying to soothe the baby in the lobby.

     Looking back, I know that it was still worth the effort to be among other Christians, to sing joyful songs of God’s praise, and be spiritually fed. But it took an act of faith—just getting there.

     With the blessing of three baptisms this month, I have enjoyed spending time with young parents—listening to their stories and trying to encourage them in the faith—just as I needed encouragement when I was in their situation. And this is what we promise as a church when we baptize—that we will encourage and nurture the entire family in the faith.

    Let us reassure one another that God has a plan for us and our children! That in our weakness, God’s power and holiness will be shown! 

    And let us each remember to come and drink the Living Water that Christ offers to all who seek Him!

     So we will never be thirsty again!

Let us pray.

Holy One, thank you for Jesus Christ, our Living Water, who nourishes us to abundant and everlasting life with in the Kingdom. Strengthen us, Lord, so that through chaotic and difficult times of our life, we will trust in You—that You are our Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of your hand. That you are in control, have a plan for us and our families, and will provide us with the Spirit gifts we need for this journey of faith. Give us more wisdom, patience, joy, and love to be the parents, grandparents and great grandparents you want us to be. Lead us to nurture the children and their families in the faith all the days of their lives. And to remember to seek you daily for Your Living Water—so we will never be thirsty again. In Christ we pray.  Amen.