PrayerBits for Thursday

Scripture lesson: Exodus 17:1-7 The griping Israelites

Time to reflect: This passage has been influential throughout Biblical history and on through to today. It is so striking that people then and now can so quickly forget all that God has done in the past and start griping and complaining – even rebelling – when inconvenienced.

Moving through the day: As a part of a prayer, make a list of things you are grateful to God for, then a list of things you wish God will get around to soon. Pray the second list with Jesus' words from Gethsemene “not what I want but what you want.”

Scripture:

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. So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink."
Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"

But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"

Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."

The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"