When God Leads You to a Dead End

What do you do when God leads you to a dead end?

In the passage we looked at yesterday, God brought the people to a spot in the middle of the desert where there was no water. Before you try to make up any excuses for God, just sit with this passage. Imagine the sights and smells, the heat and the hopelessness - really let yourself feel it:

The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. - Exodus 17:1

God was the one who led them to Rephidim. And there was no water there. That’s a real issue in the desert, especially when you have flocks and herds of livestock with you. How long can you survive on the water that you carried in your leather skins?

This week we’re going to be unpacking this passage and some others like it. But the unpacking doesn’t really work unless we get honest. Too often, Christians sort of ‘look back from heaven’ and essentially say that everything in this world fine because we end up in heaven. But is that really a healthy want to engage with the brokenness of the world? Or even with God?

From the rest of this passage we can see that God actually pushed the people into this situation to challenge them… and that God was totally fine with them experiencing the situation with anger and frustration.

Are there ways you try to argue yourself out of really feeling the depths of frustration, sadness or anger at situations you are facing? Why do you think you do that? Share those thoughts and feelings with Jesus.