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Problems

              Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (Exodus 15:22-24)

What do you do when things don’t go the way you want them to or when there’s an actual problem? Before the passage above, Israel had been slaves in Egypt. Think about this for a moment. It might suit the Pharoah’s whim to punish the Israelites by making them hunt for straw with which to make clay, but if he really sought the benefit of their labor, it would have been counterproductive to make them do without food or water.  Not only that, Egypt was along the Nile, meaning that for at least part of the year, water and food were abundant. The water of the Nile was a source of strength and power for Egypt

They had been freed from slavery in a dramatic manner but then they found no water for three days. By that time, whatever water they had carried with them (if any) was gone. Three million people, and when they did find water, it wasn’t fit to drink. Having listened to folks voice their disgust at having to pay $0.35 for a box in which to put their plants and to myself the moment things don’t go the way I want, I can only imagine the level of irritation felt by dehydrated people over bitter water.

Regardless of the level of provocation felt or the size of the crisis, people don’t tend to react well to difficulties. The Israelites grumbled against Moses. They withdrew, separating themselves from him, then attacked. This was all his fault, and it was up to him to solve it. There wasn’t even a suggestion that he should enquire of the Lord about the matter.

When we face problems by withdrawing and attacking, there are usually two standard victims: God and whoever we declare responsible, including ourselves. Who to blame or shame seems to be more important than solving the problem. Sometimes, it’s important to know who is responsible. You can’t stop a serial killer without finding out who the murderer is. You can’t teach your child responsibility without focusing at least a little on the person. But often, we take problems personally. What would happen if we stopped attacking others and ourselves, and focused on solving the  problem?

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