The greatest moment in the history of the people of Israel was enacted when the Lord parted the waters of the Red Sea to allow the fleeing Israelites to escape from the clutches of the oppressive Egyptian king.
When the Israelite’s saw the awesome power of God destroy the pursuing Egyptian army, they had faith in the Lord.
Then, led by Miriam’s tambourine, they danced and sang praises to the Lord for the great victory he had given them.
But, very soon, after walking into the desert of Shur, and finding no water, even after three days, to quench their thirst, the euphoria of the spectacular events at the Red Sea gradually wore off.
Then they reached Marah, and found the water they were seeking. But, to their consternation, the water turned out to be so bitter that it was undrinkable!
At this point, their pent up frustration reared its ugly head, and the Israelites reverted to their favorite pastime – of grumbling. They complained to their leader, Moses.
So, this great friend of God “prayed earnestly to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood, which he threw into the water; and the water became fit to drink.” (Exo 15: 25)
Every marriage, too, goes through similar phases that the Israelites experienced in their flight out of Egypt.
First, the enthusiastic courtship, wherein the man and woman are lost in the starry depths of each other’s eyes. Between mooning over each other and whispering sweet nothings, the couple fails to notice the different facets that make up their individual personalities.
Successful courtship is followed by blissful “flight” from their respective homes and families into a covenant of marriage. This is celebrated with great joy and merriment, with dancing and singing.
But, very soon, the excitement of marriage gradually starts wearing out. The stars in the eyes get dimmer, and the couple starts seeing, for the first time, the negative aspects of each other’s character. Fault finding is the order of the day, and whispered sweet nothings are replaced by sharp retorts.
Bitterness now creeps in, and the couple has reached the “Marah” of their marriage! But, all is not lost. Remember the piece of wood that sweetened the Marah of the Israelites? That piece of wood is still available today to sweeten any bitterness in your life.
This piece of wood is nothing but the Cross of Jesus Christ, the center of all mankind! The message of the Cross is a message of Love, it is a message of Forgiveness, it is a message of Healing, but most of all it is a message of the Power of God, which can turn all the bitterness in your marriage into the nectar of the gods.
So, place the glorious Cross of Jesus Christ in your life and let that “piece of wood” sweeten your marriage, for Scripture tells us: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your family.” (Acts 16: 31)
