Healing From Life's DisappointmentsSample

After their dramatic deliverance from Egypt, the Hebrew people march in the wilderness for three days, have no water, and are understandably thirsty.

The relief they must have felt when they finally find water at Marah until the unexpected happens.

They taste the water and realize it is bitter. The Hebrews are shocked! How could this be happening?

Are you finding that your life isn't what you expected? Have people and circumstances disappointed you? Did you expect your marriage to be different than it is? Your family? Your job?

I've been there, you've been there, but there is good news!

The name God uses for Himself in Exodus 15:26 is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals because He alone heals all manner of hurts, including those stemming from life's most profound disappointments.

Here, God is teaching the Hebrews that He isn't just the God who miraculously parts water so that they can walk across on dry ground. He is the God who even heals water! He is the God who provides not only for their deliverance from Egypt but also for their every need, even amidst life's day-to-day difficulties, like hunger and thirst.

The danger we face when experiencing life's disappointments is growing bitter. All too often, we believe that our disappointments create our bitterness, but that isn't the case. Our disappointments and hurts often reveal bitterness that is already in our hearts.

See, this story isn't just about bitter water. The Hebrews are already as bitter as the water at Marah, as seen in their murmuring and complaining. The situation didn't make the Hebrews resentful. It simply revealed their resentment.

But this doesn't always have to happen! For example, when Jesus faces betrayal, abandonment, and torture, He does not murmur or complain. No bitterness comes out of Him because there is no bitterness in Him in the first place. Instead, forgiveness pours out of Jesus on the cross when He says, "Lord forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

Jehovah Rapha often uses life's disappointments to reveal the state of our hearts so that we can bring those broken hearts to Him for healing. Bring your disappointments, hurts, and bitterness to Jehovah Rapha today, and watch Him heal you, just as He healed the bitter waters of Marah!