Exodus 17:2-4
Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
The people of God are not exempt from conflict with each other simply because they have a relationship with God. God did send His Son so that we would have peace with Him and with others. But, sin continues to grip our hearts and conflict is certain fruit of that sin nature. When Adam and Even sinned against God they immediately became ashamed and accused each other of failures. Conflict and the lost of peace were the first fruits of sin. They continue to blossom on a regular basis everyday. In the above passage the nation of Israel grumbles against Moses because they don't have enough water. Up to this point they had already complained about not enough food, the type of food and several other issues. Notice the affect it had on Moses. He was to the point that he thought they were ready to stone him. For those in leadership who have had their follower-ship rebel, you can relate. How many times do followers become so frustrated with leadership that they communicate displeasure in such a manner ... many times!!!! Moses response is what is should be, he takes their complaints to God. They were in a place of dry dirt and sage-brush surroundings. Since they didn't see water they assumed there was no water. Moses took the issue to God and provides a rock!!! Most of us look at a rock and think ... Rock!! But, God looks at a rock and thinks fountain!! God is not limited as we are in what can be accomplished by a rock. The people saw their limits and feared the limits. They did not seek God. They simply believed what they saw with their eyes, not what they could see with their faith. Conflict in the hearts of God's people is always this way. We are reacting to what we see and know with our eyes of flesh. When we look at conflict through they eyes of faith and see what God wants us to know about Him and we want to see what God can do through the conflict, we have victory IN the conflict, not victory FROM a conflict. God is using conflict to shape us and mold us in all that we do. The truth is, conflict is God's tool to show His power and His glory. In the midst of these issues God makes water flow from a rock that waters a million people for days. That is an amazing thought. Conflict saw a rock and dirt. The grumbling at Moses prodded him to pray to God. That allowed God to answer the issues with a miracle. God is the one gets the glory in the story. The next conflict we are in let's make sure we can see God's glory.
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