We live in a desert of troubled times. Death surrounds, mocks, challenges, and for some, even calls. We are thirsty and moan that there is no water to be found. So we hide, we fear, and sometimes we succumb.
While deep in our deserts, we may only see rocks; nothing to quench our thirst. The people of Israel kept wandering in the same desert. Kept feeling the same thirst. Kept grumbling the same complaints.
We thirst and there is nothing to drink.
God responds. Come to the mountain of God, He says. “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” (Exodus 17:6) Strike me and see what flows out, says our God.
We can look at a desert and say there is no source to quench our thirst. God stands in the desert and says I AM your source.
At the time of Paul, there was a legend among the people of Israel that the rock which Moses struck in the desert, followed the people of Israel through their wanderings, quenching their thirst.
How like us. To glorify the gift rather than the Giver. To look to the created rather than the Creator. To get mixed up in the busyness of our wanderings and start carrying the wrong things around with us.
We drag our rocks around, and are surprised when they get heavy and weigh us down. We despair when no life gushes from them and begin to collect more rocks wondering if perhaps they are the source. We amass rocks until they wall us in and block the light.
God still stands on these rocks and calls to us. Strike me. Water never came from that rock, it came from Me. The Rock that quenches thirst is a spiritual Rock; it is Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4)
So when we are caught between a rock and a hard place, let us be caught by The Rock. Strike Him in your desert of trouble, and watch the Living Water start to flow.
And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Revelation 22:17
A Space for Grace 
A tremendous reminder to look to giver rather than the gift. A.B. Simpson was a sickly man that wanted to preach but was hindered by his health. He prayed earnestly for healing, sought healing and then one day he saw a picture of George Washington and when he got close to the picture all he could see was the printing of the Declaration Of Independence but as he retreated the picture of George loomed into view. It was only then he realized all this time he had been seeking the healing rather than the healer!
Keep up the great thought provoking and challenging writing. Praise His Name!
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I love the story! If only this was a lesson I only had to learn once . . .
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