It's a Bird! It's a Plane! No! It's . . . a Stick??????

I'm guessing that people from my generation--even my children's--will get the reference to the bird, plane, etc. The third item in the well-known phrase wasn't a thing but a who--Superman. The all-powerful comic book hero. Superman. That Superman was a figment of someone's imagination. But there is a real superhero who leaves him in the dust!

When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman at the well for water she was astounded that a Jew would speak to a Samaritan woman for, said she, "the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." Not to mention that women per se were in their culture the low man on the totem pole.

Jesus answered her somewhat enigmatically, 'If you knew who was speaking to you and asking for a drink, you would ask Him for a drink of living water." The conversation continued, the woman believed on Him, and eventually she went on to bring men from her village to hear the amazing man she had come to recognize as being no other than the Son of God. Jesus was the real Superman, wouldn't you say? And as such, all that pertains to Him is equally amazing. Even a stick.

I know you're wondering about the stick. Let me 'splane it to you, as Ricky Ricardo used to say.

A few months ago I was made painfully aware of the fact that there is a strained relationship in my life due to some misconceptions. I am not totally innocent in the affair because the misconceptions arose from actions on my part that originated in fear--or rather, fear caused my inactions. I have repented before the Lord ad nauseum. I'm sure He's tired of my groveling on my face before Him for the same infraction. Again. And again. And again. Didn't He say that if we confess our sins He will forgive us? (1 John 1:9-10) Do I not believe that or what? Why do I keep repeating my plea for forgiveness? Don't I take God at His Word? What is my problem?

My problem is that while my head acknowledges the truth of God's Word, that He has forgiven me, my imperfect self has trouble internalizing that forgiveness. I go a few days okay, then the offense comes back to haunt me. The night I can sleep without a heaviness of heart waking me up during the night watches is a blessed one. The day I wake up without my heart feeling like it is breaking I breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Thank you, God, for one day without pain."

Then came last Sunday. For the first time ever I had the privilege of sitting under the teaching of our music minister, a gifted and anointed sister in Christ. She began her teaching with a look at Exodus 15. In that chapter, we find that those snarky Israelites (I like to think I wouldn't stoop to their murmuring towards God but my life seems to say otherwise) had just seen the glory of God as He delivered them from their pursuing enemies. The Red Sea that opened for them closed upon and destroyed their foes. Every single one of them. They should be happy, right? Well, at first they were, singing praises to God . . . but then . . .

They march along for three days and run out of water. And, wouldn't you know it?, they come to a place they name Marah for its bitter waters (Marah apparently means bitter). The water was too bitter to drink. Oh, what to do? What to do?

You'd think that, having just experienced a great miracle, they would have the presence of mind to remind God of what He had just done for them at the Red Sea and ask Him for a repeat miracle, right? But, no, that would have been too easy, it would make too much sense. Instead they opted to act like spoiled pouty children and murmured against Moses, their leader.

Poor Moses. This was just the beginning of all he would have to put up with with these crazy people. Anyway, he does what they should have done and calls out to the Lord. And, faithful God that He is, God shows Moses a tree to throw into the waters and--voilá--the water is made sweet. As in, now the grumpy cats could drink it. Thank you, Moses. Thank You, God.

The Israelites were in a desert. They were without water. But God showed up and caused the bitter waters to be made sweet.

Now, Romans 15:4 tells us that all the "things (that) were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." This tells us that the lessons the Israelites learned are for our admonition and benefit.

Just like the Israelites wandered in the desert, my minister friend said, we go through hard, dry times in our own lives. And some of the places we come to can have very bitter water.

As she spoke these words, my spirit shouted, "That's me! That's me! I am in a place of very bitter water!" Up this point I had spent countless hours pouring over the scriptures, looking for some word from the Lord, anything!!!!, that would guide me as to what to do to alleviate the debilitating pain in my heart. I had seen glimmers of hope . . . I had seen the promises of forgiveness . . . but my heart still ached. I couldn't help but wonder it this was to be my new normal.

At different times I had shared my dilemma with my husband, my brother, and a sister. I was more than willing to hear them condemn me. But they did not. Their words were kind and absolved me of blame, especially since I had poured my failings before the Lord and asked for forgiveness. (I will add, since it reflects on the scripture at the end of this post, that my brother pointed out that I could deduce who was causing this conflict in me by its results-- a crippling loss of desire to serve in ministry.) But my broken relationship said otherwise. Perhaps, I wondered at times, if I would walk to the end of my days with my heart fractured into a million pieces. Perhaps this was my just dessert. God forgave David his big sin, but he suffered some pretty devastating consequences for the rest of his life.

Yet . . . despite the awful consequences of his sin, David prayed in Psalm 51:12, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation . . ." Using this verse as my reference, my prayer morphed into something life this: if there is any way for me to live in even a tiny modicum of joy, Lord, can You show me?

That is when my sister ministered on THE STICK. God showed Moses which tree to throw in the water--and the waters were made sweet.

Sweet! It was like a mirage in the desert! I saw hope before me and my whole soul reached out for that beautiful picture! Sweetness! Respite from the crushing pain that tortured me! . . . Could it be? . . . Hope began to burgeon in my breast. And I began to pray, "Lord, show me the stick to throw into my bitter waters."

You might think I have a screw loose--but Tuesday proved otherwise!

My sister in the Lord ministered Sunday night. I prayed my stick prayer that night, all day Monday, Monday night . . . and Tuesday I made my way to see my new Tennessee friends at our church's weekly ladies' meeting.

As it happens to be, we are currently making our way through a Priscilla Shirer study entitled He Speaks to Me. As usual, we watched a video of her introducing the lesson for that week, which happened to be Lesson 2, how being a worshipper leads to intimacy with God. A prerequisite to that, she posited, was leaving hindrances behind--religious boundaries, the need to please, comparing ourselves to others. And then the clincher (for me). Past experiences.

Priscilla based this requisite on Isaiah 43:18-19,"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth, shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness , and rivers in the desert."

I could not keep from weeping. As tears flowed (I need to buy the church a box of Kleenex for all the tissues I wasted!), I knew that I knew that I knew that God had given me my stick. It is okay with God for me to keep living my life in joy, even if my loved one does not accept my olive branch. It is okay to forget my past failings. It is okay to look to the future, to the Author and Finisher of my faith. I am not a dastardly hypocritical person for daring to have joy in Jesus even though my life has not been perfect. All my failings are covered by the blood of Jesus and I am accepted by God in Him.

I can't tell you all Priscilla said, but it all spoke right to my need. I have been told that you can find her intros to the lessons on YouTube, so perhaps you can listen to her yourself. All I can say is, it was nothing less than a word from God for me. My heart now is beating with joy. Oh, thank You, God! Thank You! I don't deserve this kindness, this sweetening of my bitter waters, but thank You, most gracious One!

To confirm the glory of God's life-changing stick in my life, that very night my Spurgeon devotional was based on Song of Solomon 1:13, "A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me." He is not just a little bit of myrrh, He is a bundle of sticks from which the myrrh is extracted--enough sticks for every need. He offered me a life-changing stick, but in the end, it turns out that He is the stick!

Dear friend, do you find yourself in a desert? Are there bitter waters spreading their insidious poison in your life? God is no respecter of persons. If He can give me a life changing stick, He is more than willing to do it for you. All you have to do is ask.

"The thief (the bitter waters from the enemy) cometh not but to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10