At a point in their wilderness journey, the Israelites encountered the bitter water. They could not drink it so they murmured against Moses, their leader. Moses prayed and God told him what to do. The waters were healed, and the people had their fill. This story teaches us a couple of lessons. Firstly, different people react to issues differently. The situation that stirred murmuring on the part of the people spurred communion with God for Moses. Murmuring is a waste of time, because it does not produce anything positive but rather divine wrath.

The answer was where the problem was found…it will take God opening our eyes to see it…Those who maintain calmness of spirit will always be shown the way out of every trouble.

The second lesson is that God’s salvation (or means to it) is always near. The tree that Moses cast into the waters to make it drinkable was in the vicinity of the problem. He did not have to rush back to Egypt or travel to Canaan to get the solution. The answer was where the problem was found. Here is the last note: whereas the answer may be near, it will take God opening our eyes to see it. It is only when God shows the solution that we can apply it to our purpose. Interestingly, God is always willing to show us the solution to any problem we may face; it is our haste and irritability that robs us often. Those who maintain calmness of spirit will always be shown the way out of every trouble.