You’ve got to be kidding! We’re often amazed to read the
ongoing saga of faith and doubt that Exodus chronicles in
the story of the Israelites and their quest to enter the Promised
Land. Today’s scripture follows the thirsty Israelites, ten plagues
and one harrowing escape through water later! Moses must have
wondered what it would take to ensure the people’s faith in the
living God who had delivered them from their Egyptian oppressors
and then cared for them in the desert wilderness. To us it
appears that God, with Moses as divine instrument, performs
one miracle after another. This situation actually reflects a crisis
in leadership—a lack of trust in Moses and in God. How dare the
Israelites grumble, question, and make demands?

If we honestly reflect on our own situations, we realize that
much of our frustration with the Israelites stems from our private,
possibly sheepish, admissions about our own questions
and demands of God. We, like the Israelites, have repeatedly
experienced God’s undeserved blessings throughout our lives.
I acknowledge many such blessings that have emerged in my
life: timing of challenges and resolutions synced; a way opened
in the midst of circumstances that at the time appeared to have
no resolution.

My own wilderness experiences and God’s providential
care have resulted in an undeniable pattern of goodness in my
life. Yet, I sometimes allow an amnesia of grace to affect my testimony
adversely. Pain, disillusionment, and fear exist. Struggles
and hardships can seem more real than joy. But through it
all, our faithful, loving, and powerful God cares and provides
for us.