S211P12 – Lessons from captivity: that which follows deliverance
Exo. 15:23-25a
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto Jehovah; and Jehovah showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet.
It was the ideal living situation from a financial perspective, but her time there certainly caused her to regress spiritually. Sharing a home with two other Christian women afforded her the opportunity to be independent, and she expected that she would grow spiritually as well. However, tight quarters and differences in living habits caused friendships to deteriorate over time. Suddenly, instead of feeling free in that environment she began to feel stuck. It would take a miracle for her to be able to afford a place on her own, but God did create that miracle. Being completely on her own would bring a whole new set of challenges, but that was to be expected. Deliverance from her living situation did not guarantee a future without problems.
God’s deliverance is full and final. We see that example in Exodus, and we also see it in other scriptures. We certainly can hold on to that truth without question, but we must make sure not to misunderstand it. At no time are we promised a life here without trouble. Freedom from one issue or problem does not mean that others will not come our way. It can be frustrating to have God bring us out of one trying circumstance only to find ourselves in another. The truth is simply that life is not perfect. The comfort is that God is right there no matter what we must endure. It is okay that the world brings trouble when we know that our Savior has overcome the world. Times of trouble are an opportunity for us to see God work in miraculous ways, even when we have just experienced freedom.
A critical component of our faith is resting on the promises that God gives us. Circumstances can make our minds think that things are not the way we know they are from God’s word. That is one reason why we might expect deliverance to operate a way other than how it actually does. If we mistakenly believe that the true Christian life comes without problems and struggles, then we will spend our time constantly disappointed. If we instead understand the truth of the matter, then we know what to expect and how to respond. The goal is to be prepared for the next trouble to come even from that moment of deliverance. Father, thank You for the freedom that You give us continually from one trouble to the next.