He could not give up to bitterness and hatred, whatever his misfortunes and his fate.”
–Zane Grey (The Desert of Wheat)
“The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.”
–Proverbs 14:10(NKJV)
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I have done minimal hiking in the desert but the little I’ve done has made me realize the need for water. The desert for sure is intriguing, but it can be dangerous. Whenever I’ve been in a desert region my mind always goes back to the pioneers who first crossed the barren wasteland. One thing they must have had besides a strong constitution and endurance is water. Many died by not having enough water. They searched to find water in the wilderness and often did not find it, or when they did it was too alkali to drink. It is easy to see why the following was true: “No human creature ever entered a desert oasis without joy, nor left it without regret.” (Zane Grey)
I also recall the time when the Hebrews, shortly after crossing the Red Sea found themselves in the desert and thirsty.
“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. And the people complained against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ 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.”
–Exodus 15:22-25 (NKJV)
Someone has said that bitterness is a hard pill to swallow. It can destroy a life. It can destroy a relationship. It can bring hopes down to despair. Bill Gothard says that one of the three root causes of sin is bitterness. Bitterness is hard to remove, and I’m sure the people trying to drink the water wanted it removed. What did the Lord tell Moses to do? Cast a tree into the water, and it will no longer be bitter. Add something to it.
But a bitter life. What can be added to make it sweet?
I think of another tree; a tree that brings pleasure. David wrote, “He [the righteous] shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3, NKJV). The tree of the righteous is firm, stable. It brings delight to those around and sweetens the region around it. The righteous are productive, they bring pleasure not only to God but to those in whom they come in contact with.
Jesus said, “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14, NKJV) The water that flows from Him is not bitter, but it took a bitter tree for it to be sweet for you and me. Krissy Nordhoff wrote, “On a hill called Calvary there stands an endless mercy tree.”
If you have bitterness in your life for one reason or another, who can go to the tree that sweetens the water. The waters of life may be bitter but there was a tree that was cut and hewn, shaped into a cross where our Saviour bled and died to not only die for our sins, but to sweeten the waters of bitterness. Life can be a “bitter pill,” but with Jesus the walk can be sweet. When we recognize that Jesus is beside us, “Then shall there be no bitterness in the taste of the brine; the waters will be sweet if they are shared by Thee.” (George Matheson)
————————————-
I have done minimal hiking in the desert but the little I’ve done has made me realize the need for water. The desert for sure is intriguing, but it can be dangerous. Whenever I’ve been in a desert region my mind always goes back to the pioneers who first crossed the barren wasteland. One thing they must have had besides a strong constitution and endurance is water. Many died by not having enough water. They searched to find water in the wilderness and often did not find it, or when they did it was too alkali to drink. It is easy to see why the following was true: “No human creature ever entered a desert oasis without joy, nor left it without regret.” (Zane Grey)
I also recall the time when the Hebrews, shortly after crossing the Red Sea found themselves in the desert and thirsty.
“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. And the people complained against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ 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.”
–Exodus 15:22-25 (NKJV)
Someone has said that bitterness is a hard pill to swallow. It can destroy a life. It can destroy a relationship. It can bring hopes down to despair. Bill Gothard says that one of the three root causes of sin is bitterness. Bitterness is hard to remove, and I’m sure the people trying to drink the water wanted it removed. What did the Lord tell Moses to do? Cast a tree into the water, and it will no longer be bitter. Add something to it.
But a bitter life. What can be added to make it sweet?
I think of another tree; a tree that brings pleasure. David wrote, “He [the righteous] shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3, NKJV). The tree of the righteous is firm, stable. It brings delight to those around and sweetens the region around it. The righteous are productive, they bring pleasure not only to God but to those in whom they come in contact with.
Jesus said, “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14, NKJV) The water that flows from Him is not bitter, but it took a bitter tree for it to be sweet for you and me. Krissy Nordhoff wrote, “On a hill called Calvary there stands an endless mercy tree.”
If you have bitterness in your life for one reason or another, who can go to the tree that sweetens the water. The waters of life may be bitter but there was a tree that was cut and hewn, shaped into a cross where our Saviour bled and died to not only die for our sins, but to sweeten the waters of bitterness. Life can be a “bitter pill,” but with Jesus the walk can be sweet. When we recognize that Jesus is beside us, “Then shall there be no bitterness in the taste of the brine; the waters will be sweet if they are shared by Thee.” (George Matheson)