The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

Exodus 17:1

It is inconceivable that a loving God, who with miraculous and mighty acts, had led his people from captivity in Egypt, would ultimately lead them to Rephidim, a place with no water. He led them to this place of thirst just six weeks after the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. And right there in Rephidim, the place with no water, the people forgot who God was. They quarreled and they tested the Lord’s patience, by accusing Moses and by association, God, not just of not meeting their need, but of trying to murder them (vs.3).

Have you ever found yourself in a place with no water? Have you ever gone through circumstances that were so difficult, and so painful that you began to wonder where God was? For Christians, this is the reality of our lives. We often find ourselves encamped in a place where there is no water; a place where we feel so painfully alone and no matter where we look, there seems to be no hope. And yet, right there in Rephidim, in the place with no water, God extends his matchless grace to an undeserving people. He commands Moses to strike the Rock, and he provides water for the people of Israel to drink.

Brethren, if you find yourself in Rephidim, in the place with no water, do not question God’s intention and do not question his providence. He who brought you to the desert will lead you out of it and will provide you with water to drink. Right now as we live our lives in this uncertain world, many of us are experiencing, or will experience the hopelessness of Rephidim. Remember, it is God who led you there and it is God who will lead you out. Seek his Presence and trust him, for only in his Presence will you find what you seek. As the Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 63:3, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” AMEN.