苦水
出埃及記十五章22至27節
22摩西領以色列人從紅海往前行，到了書珥的曠野，在曠野走了三天，找不著水。
23到了瑪拉，不能喝那裡的水；因為水苦，所以那地名叫瑪拉。
24百姓就向摩西發怨言，說：我們喝甚麼呢？
25摩西呼求耶和華，耶和華指示他一棵樹。他把樹丟在水裡，水就變甜了。耶和華在那裡為他們定了律例、典章，在那裡試驗他們；
26又說：你若留意聽耶和華─你神的話，又行我眼中看為正的事，留心聽我的誡命，守我一切的律例，我就不將所加與埃及人的疾病加在你身上，因為我─耶和華是醫治你的。
27他們到了以琳，在那裡有十二股水泉，七十棵棕樹；他們就在那裡的水邊安營。
信息分享
三天之前，神才拯救百姓脫離法老的追兵，讓他們安然渡過了紅海。但僅僅過了三天，百姓卻似乎對神的作為全然忘記。他們不單沒有互相提醒：「神既然能夠幫助我們渡過紅海，祂現在一定能夠繼續幫助我們的」；反而又再埋怨摩西。他們的表現，仿如被寵壞的孩子，除了抱怨之外，便不懂得用其他方法來處理問題。
摩西如何回應？他是否為此而自怨自艾，就像許多領袖遇到問題時的表現一樣？或者，他是否忿然痛斥百姓一頓？這也是許多基督徒領袖常有的反應。
不，摩西並沒有這樣做。我們在第25節看到，他做了一件我們每個人遇到困難時都應該做，而百姓當時也應當做的事：他呼求神的幫助，求神指示他該怎樣做。接著，摩西就照著神的吩咐去做，結果，那苦水便立即變成可以飲用的水。這神蹟再次證明神的大能和對百姓的看顧。其後，他們繼續往前走，到以以琳之後，便發現那裡有多達十二股水泉！百姓根本不用為到不夠水喝而擔憂。
在我們的屬靈生命中，我們亦經常遇到各式的苦難和試煉，叫我們的內心充滿苦澀。然而，我們只要懂得呼求神的拯救，神定必會幫助我們。而且，祂更會進一步帶領我們，讓我們進到一個像以琳那樣的蒙福之地。
經訓：
「他使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊。」詩篇二十三篇2節
BITTER WATERS
Exodus 15: 22 - 27
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
25 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, and there He tested them,
26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
Message
This was only three days after God's marvellous deliverance of the people at the Red Sea. Only three days and already they had forgotten what God had done. Instead of saying to each other, 'Remember how God helped us at the Red Sea, he must be able to help us here', they once more complained to Moses. They were like spoiled children who couldn't think of anything else to do.
What did Moses do? Did he blame himself for what had happened? Many leaders do that when things go wrong. Did he turn on the people and scold them? Again many Christian leaders will do that.
No, verse 25 tells us that Moses did what we all should do and what the people themselves should have done. He turned to God and said, 'Lord show me what to do'. God told him and the miraculous result was proof again of God's power and of his care for his people. Later they went on to Elim, where there was enough water for all.
In our spiritual experiences, it may often be like that. There will come bitter times of hardship and testing. But if we ask God for his help, he will gladly give it. He won't leave us there either, but will lead us on into places of blessing which will be like Elim for us.
A VERSE FOR TODAY:
He leads me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:2