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Wrestling with the brutal, unexpected, and cruel reality of facing difficulties is something I find myself dealing with over and over again. Sometimes certain days are harder to navigate than others; they can feel like the weight is unbearable to carry. However, it's something that we already know we have to consistently persevere and lean more on faith in God through, rather than relying on ourselves for strength and hope. Jesus tells us that we will face trials and tribulations. He also tells us that even though we'll be facing these difficulties, He is right there with us the entire time. There is not a second He isn't, which I find comforting in the midst of chaos.

Let’s take a quick look at a magnificent story in the Bible that clearly illustrates God’s ability to turn bitterness into sweetness.

This story is about the Israelites. On the brink of being rescued from Egypt, and an absolutely incredible and miraculous escape through the Red Sea, they found themselves at the edge of a vast desert stretching far and wide before them. Then, three days into their journey, the first test came. Having no water in sight, the Israelites began to panic. If no water wasn’t bad enough, when they did end up finding water, they discovered it was bitter, undrinkable, and would not make a good cup of jo. They came to a place called “Marah” which, in Hebrew, means bitter. I simply can’t imagine what thoughts went through their minds during this. Imagine the lies that flooded their minds. “This so-called God of yours delivered you out of Egypt, where you had food and water to drink, leaving you three days in the desert to die, and then tempted you with water that is bitter and undrinkable. Some God you must have. Some cruel God.” In that moment, every fear surfaced and they only saw death. It was indeed a bitter situation.

As Christians, we often go through our own deserts, and oftentimes we get into this mindset that we must see what’s ahead, however, that’s not necessarily putting full trust in God. You see, the Israelites didn’t see a way, but God did. This was definitely a test of their faith in what they couldn’t see. Without the bitter water, there wouldn’t have been an opportunity for God to perform a miracle. Like most of our lives, the bitter parts of each season are ample opportunities for God to perform miracles. The Israelites wanted to see every part of the journey, just so they felt safe. But, that isn’t necessarily what the Bible teaches us. It states clearly that without faith, it is impossible to please God. They didn’t see water they could drink, but God did. He sees the sweet in the bitter, in every single situation. 

God has the power to take away your hurdles in life, but what is that really doing? If God chose to take away every hurdle, then there wouldn’t really be a need to rely on Him in life. He chose to bring the Israelites to a place where they needed to seriously rely on God to carry them through. They needed to put their full trust in Him, and acknowledge that He is still in control even when it seems like there's no hope. Instead of looking for water for life, He let them go through that so that they would look to Him for life.

Maybe you’re reading this and you’re in a season of doubt or you simply can’t see the last piece of the puzzle. Maybe you’ve waited years for something to turn up, but it still hasn’t. Maybe you’ve been walking a life with some baggage that seems to be dragging you down, and you’ve asked God to remove it but He hasn’t. 

God never forsakes us, so why would He fail us? He wouldn’t. The next time you feel like there’s no way through that season you’re walking through, just remember that God has a greater plan to show you His goodness. He turns bitter circumstances into sweet circumstances. He wants to show you His love, but first, you must fully trust that He has control of every aspect of your life. I’m confident that if you do that, you’ll begin to have more confidence that He can turn your mess into a masterpiece.