How should we respond when facing "no water" situations in our lives? Setting the Scene: Exodus 17:1-7 “...but there was no water for the people to drink. So the people contended with Moses, and they said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ … Moses cried out to the LORD, ‘What shall I do with this people? A little more and they will stone me!’ … the LORD answered Moses, ‘Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.’” (Exodus 17:1-6) Common Reactions When the Well Runs Dry • Complaining and contention (v. 2) • Blaming leadership or circumstances (v. 3) • Forgetting past deliverances (cf. Exodus 14:30-31) • Testing God’s character and care (v. 7) God’s Intended Response Pattern • Cry out to Him, not at others – “Moses cried out to the LORD” (v. 4) • Recall the staff of past victories – God told Moses to take “the staff with which you struck the Nile” (v. 5) • Obey specific instructions promptly – “go… strike the rock” (vv. 5-6) • Expect the miraculous: water from unlikely places (v. 6) • Recognize His presence in the hardship – “I will stand there before you” (v. 6; cf. Psalm 46:1) Lessons for Today’s “No Water” Moments 1. Remember His faithfulness – Psalm 77:11: “I will remember the works of the LORD.” 2. Redirect grievances into prayer – Philippians 4:6: “Be anxious for nothing… let your requests be made known to God.” 3. Respond with obedience, even when instructions seem unusual – John 2:5: “Do whatever He tells you.” 4. Look to the Rock—Christ Himself – 1 Corinthians 10:4: “For they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” 5. Receive and share the provision – 2 Corinthians 1:4: “So that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” Promises to Stand On • Isaiah 41:18 – “I will open rivers on barren heights… I will make the wilderness a pool of water.” • John 7:37-38 – “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink… streams of living water will flow from within him.” • Revelation 7:17 – “The Lamb… will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Practical Steps for the Week Ahead • Start each day by recalling one past deliverance. • Replace every complaint with a short statement of trust—e.g., “Lord, You are my Rock.” • Search Scripture for a “water promise” and memorize it. • Act on the next clear step of obedience, however small. • Offer encouragement or material help to someone else in a “dry season,” sharing the water God provides. |
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