He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood. He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them. He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert. For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for— that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the Lord . – Psalm 105:29-45

This passage covers a lot of familiar water. It is a circling back passage to recount and remember the time under slavery in Egypt through the many events to get Pharaoh’s attention, and finally to the crossing over of the Jordan into the promised land. As I am writing this short summary of events it occurs to me that the journey that Israel made has many things in common with my journey from being an agnostic to someone “all in” for Jesus the Christ.

My “Egypt” was personal rather than geographical. I was enslaved by egotism and self-focus. Which I guess one could argue was the driving force for the Egyptians to enslave the Israelites. They wanted to erect monuments to their egos in the form of pyramids. My monuments are less impressive, although perhaps no less self-focused. God finally got my attention through a series of events and people that made it difficult to ignore the messiah from Nazareth.

God led me, and continues to lead me, through His spirit which speaks to my soul. The leading sometimes feels as nebulous as a cloud and other times as bright as a burning light in the pitch darkness of the night. God provides me with everything I need, although not always what I want. Just like the Israelites I am sometimes confused by God’s provision and ask as the Israelites did — “what is it?” when God provides me with much needed manna.

God has opened a virtual and literal rock for me so that His living water can flow into my life. It is this water that sustains me as I walk and toil in this spiritual desert we call earth.

Prayer: God thank You for providing us with living water amidst the spiritual desert in which we live.