On the third day, bitter water

In Exodus 15, the Israelites have been delievered from
slavery and the Egyptian army has drowned behind them
in the sea and they start their trek across the desert.
They go for two days without finding water and then
on the third day they find water, but it is bitter
tasting.

The people complained or grumbled about the water.
The New Living Translation says that, "the people
turned against Moses." So, Moses went to God and
cried out for help. What to do? God showed him this
wood and Moses placed the wood or branches into the
bitter water and it became sweet.

Then God lays out some rules for the people, through
Moses, saying that if you listen to me and obey me,
what happened to the Egyptians will never happen to
you. Then God says, "for I am the Lord that heals
you".

It's easy to see that obedience is a good thing that
God wants, but is God saying that if you are obedient,
I will heal you? Why would God place this bitter
water in front of them? Perhaps God wanted them to
drink the bitter water. Perhaps the water that tasted
bitter was actually healing. What if it had something
in it that was naturally healing, but had a bad taste.

I think there are often things in our life that taste
bitter, but by drinking it we are made better. We
often cry out and complain about it and resist it.
What if we never take the bitter cup but always refuse
it and will only drink sweet things? I think that God
is so patient that He will allow this and let us live
below what He really wants for us, a life of
deliverace on the outside and on the inside, at all
levels. I believe that most peple turn God down and
say, "no thanks", to really walking with Him. But I
also believe that God continually gives followers
second chances on and on.