Matt Richards
Exodus 15:22-25 Then Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea and they went into the Wilderness of Shur; they went three days [thirty-three miles] in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its waters for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah [bitterness]. The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There [the Lord] made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them
You know God's people here had just experienced glorious deliverance from the enemy from slavery passing through the red sea. It's like when we get saved and baptized. But here's the thing, you can be delivered from Egypt from being a slave, but still have a slave mentality in a free land. (Sundays preach 'living as a slave in the land of goodness') They were thirsty, so thirsty 33 miles with no water. One massive hurdle for them was the only water available was at Marah—it was bitter. Let me tell you the only way to continue on this Christian journey is to forgive. Die thirsty in unforgiveness, in bitterness as a slave, or live in the freedom of forgiveness as a son. The answer given to Moses was to put a tree in the water and it then became sweet. When we apply the cross and when we forgive people we will find our bitterness turns to a sweetness and we truly live. The experiences you've had can either make you bitter or sweet. Bitter or better you choose. Choose the sweet. Prayer:
Father I choose to live a life of forgiveness. Holy Spirit bring to my mind anyone I need to forgive right now in Jesus name, Amen.
Here's a sugested prayer to pray out loud: I choose to forgive (persons name) for (what they did), which made me feel (how did it make you feel). I give (name) to You to judge today in Jesus' name amen.