Dear Family, 

Today is Friday, April 24, 2020, Day 13 in our counting toward Pentecost.  And, this is the 6th day of Week 2.   

Through our studies this week, we have seen God’s sovereignty over circumstances.  In God’s leading, He makes no mistakes.  We have seen the principle of God’s proving His people and blessing them with abundant, undeserved grace.  And, we have seen God take the bitter and make it sweet.  All of these are principles of how God deals with His people.

The word bitter is used throughout the Bible, and the context is always related to some pain or suffering, for example:                                                                                                                             

• Israel had suffered bitter bondage in Egypt.  And, the bitter waters of Marah could not quench their thirst. 
• Job said his plight was bitter. (Job 7:11 and Job 23:2).   
• Naomi described her circumstances as bitter. Ruth 1:20, And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 
• Solomon described the bitter effect of a treacherous woman in Ecclesiastes 7:26, And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands…. 

And, there are many others in the Old Testament as well as in the New.  In the book of James, an interesting question is posed: James 3:11, Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?  From our study of the bitter water of Marah, our answer must be, absolutely not; and yet, God can work His miracle.  God can change bitter water, bitter lives, and bitter hearts!

What causes God to respond and make the bitter sweet? Moses turned to God.  The process of bitter being turned into sweet begins with our doing the same thing Moses did.  He cried out to the LORD.  He did not join the Israelites in their useless, faithless complaint. And, God showed Moses the answer.  

God will show us the answers to the bitter spots in our lives, too.  It’s just far too easy to complain and blame.  However, the answer is so simple for true and faithful Believers.  They cry out to God, and He shows them the answer.  Even when we humans have a small part to do in relieving our own suffering, we must recognize the miracle, the supernatural intervention, that God is accomplishing right before our eyes. 

May God bless you and your family with sweetness!

Ben Faulkner
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