March 29th

The Ultimate Power and Purpose of the Cross

There He...said, If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.' Exodus 15:25-26

Have you ever experienced something that was bitter? I know I have. Bitter experiences are no fun. You want to spit them out of your life like sour milk.

Bitter experiences are just that-bitter-often leaving an unpleasant and even painful residue in our hearts. But because of the cross of Jesus we can be healed.

There is a story from the exodus of Israel from Egypt that gives us the perfect picture of what Jesus has done for us. Right after they had crossed through the Red Sea, they traveled for three days in the wilderness, and after three days they came to a small pond.

As you can imagine, they excitedly went to drink their fill of the water, but when they did they found that the water was bitter. It was so bitter, in fact, that they could not drink it. Instead, they complained to Moses. Moses cried out to God and God answered Moses by showing him a tree.

Then, in the sight of the whole nation, Moses threw the tree into the water and imme-

diately the whole pond was transformed, not so that it was tolerable, not just okay, not just I think I can manage, but so that it was sweet.

And right there in that profound moment, the Lord made a promise to the people that if they followed Him, then He would take away from them everything that made their lives bitter, all the sicknesses and plagues and death that He had brought on the Egyptians.

This is what God has done for us already through the cross of Jesus Christ. He has removed the sickness, the death, and the sin that have plagued us all our lives. He declares over us today, I am the LORD who heals you.

Salvation is not a process and redemption is not a road. It is an event, and either it's happened to you or it hasn't. Either the cross has invaded your life like the tree invaded the pool or it hasn't. Either your life is filled with living water or with bitter water.

Which one is it for you?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

I have had a lot of bitterness in my life, but I praise You that You have thrown the reality of the cross into my spirit so that I can be whole. I put my trust in You today. Please make my bitterness sweet!

Amen