We have some colorful place names here in our state. Last Chance, Colorado got its name because it was the final stop for travelers to get gas, food, and supplies before entering the long, empty stretch of the eastern plains. Steamboat Springs got its name when French trappers heard a chugging, whistling sound. They thought a steamboat was nearby, but found out the sound came from a natural geothermal spring. Independence and Independence Pass point to the discovery of gold in that area on July 4, 1879.
Place names often tell stories. In Exodus 17, Moses gave a desert location two names: Massah and Meribah. Massah means “testing.” Meribah means “quarreling.” You can . . . . guess what happened there. The Israelites were desperately thirsty in the wilderness, and thirst is a real need. But the problem was not their need, it was their attitude. They demanded water and accused God of abandoning them. They asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Instead of trusting, they tested the Lord. We can fall into the same pattern. We test God when we expect him to act according to our timetable or our plan. We complain when life feels uncertain. We demand proof that God is still with us.
Notice God’s response. The Lord told Moses, “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” God provided water for his people—even when their faith was weak. That’s grace!
We are invited to bring every need to God, not with demanding hearts, but with trusting ones. The Lord truly is among us. Through Jesus Christ, God has come to dwell with and save his people. Remember daily his promise: My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19).
5The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” (Exodus 17:5-6)