Encouragement

So I mentioned in the last blog about my bible study and how it has really been so good for this season of my life . Well, today Pricilla picked back up in Exodus with the Israelites after being in the wilderness where the Lord was"positioning" them for the Red Sea miracle. Then right after the parting of the Sea they were back in the wilderness and they were thirsty and came to Marah(Exodus 15:23) they could not drink that water because it was bitter... Marah means bitter. By the way I am paraphrasing Pricilla's study so most of this is from the study not me:)..Anyway, so she pointed out that the Israelites were disappointed , frustrated ,and angry.Then she talked about how we sometimes are thirsty and needing an answer to prayer and the outcome we thought was our big break was not what we expected. What happens then ? Are we then angry with God? I mean this has certainly happened to me. It has happened to David as well in 1Chronicles 13:2-12 when he wanted to bring the Arc of the Lord back to the city and Uzzah was struck down dead. Needless to say David was angry with the Lord and afraid. Just like with David he did something David did not understand and he has done things in many different circumstances that I still do not understand but I know he is good. Just like David he showed faithful to him and blessed him even though that disappointment came when he was expecting a much different outcome. The same thing went for the Israelites the water was bitter and it was not the answer they were expecting and I was thinking to myself as I read this that they should have been so filled with faith after witnessing the parting of the Red sea. I mean why would the Lord bring them through the actual sea and show them his glory to then 3 days later let them die of thirst in the wilderness? It does not make sense and it does not line up with the character of God to just leave them, In fact in Joshua 1:5 he says "As I was with Moses I will never leave you or forsake you". So you would think the Red sea would have encouraged them so much that they would know no matter what he would not leave them. But fear ,doubt , and unbelief clouded their faith filled vision.So what did they do? They cried out to him and Ex. 15:25 says he turned the bitter water into sweetness for them (paraphrasing) . When Pricilla pointed all these things out to me it was so encouraging because no matter what he will not leave me if it is not what I expect or want he will be with me and that is so comforting to know. So when I feel like I am wandering in my wilderness with my baggage and struggles with being a good mother , when my actions toward my kids and husband wreak with the stench of my impatience and yet here I am pregnant with my fourth. When most comments I hear about this pregnancy are "this will be your last...right? The sting of those words somehow feed my insecurities about the kind of mother I am . But just like the Israelites he I will cry out to the Lord just like they did . Pricilla gave some great scriptures 1 Chronicles 5:20 and 2 Samuel 22:7 the Lord hears the cries of his children and not only that he responds ....responds so no matter what he hears and responds but I just need to practice crying out to him and not others first. Well, I know this was long winded but I felt so encouraged by this ... We are never alone and no matter how many kids I have and how many insecurities I harbor he hears and responds and never leaves ....THAT IS AWESOME.... And it brings me hope and encouragement and that is what we have in Jesus! I love him:)