苦水
出埃及记十五章22至27节
22摩西领以色列人从红海往前行，到了书珥的旷野，在旷野走了三天，找不着水。
23到了玛拉，不能喝那里的水；因为水苦，所以那地名叫玛拉。
24百姓就向摩西发怨言，说：我们喝甚么呢？
25摩西呼求耶和华，耶和华指示他一棵树。他把树丢在水里，水就变甜了。耶和华在那里为他们定了律例、典章，在那里试验他们；
26又说：你若留意听耶和华─你神的话，又行我眼中看为正的事，留心听我的诫命，守我一切的律例，我就不将所加与埃及人的疾病加在你身上，因为我─耶和华是医治你的。
27他们到了以琳，在那里有十二股水泉，七十棵棕树；他们就在那里的水边安营。
信息分享
三天之前，神才拯救百姓脱离法老的追兵，让他们安然渡过了红海。但仅仅过了三天，百姓却似乎对神的作为全然忘记。他们不单没有互相提醒：「神既然能够帮助我们渡过红海，祂现在一定能够继续帮助我们的」；反而又再埋怨摩西。他们的表现，仿如被宠坏的孩子，除了抱怨之外，便不懂得用其他方法来处理问题。
摩西如何回应？他是否为此而自怨自艾，就像许多领袖遇到问题时的表现一样？或者，他是否忿然痛斥百姓一顿？这也是许多基督徒领袖常有的反应。
不，摩西并没有这样做。我们在第25节看到，他做了一件我们每个人遇到困难时都应该做，而百姓当时也应当做的事：他呼求神的帮助，求神指示他该怎样做。接着，摩西就照着神的吩咐去做，结果，那苦水便立即变成可以饮用的水。这神迹再次证明神的大能和对百姓的看顾。其后，他们继续往前走，到以以琳之后，便发现那里有多达十二股水泉！百姓根本不用为到不够水喝而担忧。
在我们的属灵生命中，我们亦经常遇到各式的苦难和试炼，叫我们的内心充满苦涩。然而，我们只要懂得呼求神的拯救，神定必会帮助我们。而且，祂更会进一步带领我们，让我们进到一个像以琳那样的蒙福之地。
经训：
「他使我躺卧在青草地上，领我在可安歇的水边。」诗篇二十三篇2节
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