15 February | EVERYONE
“Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.’” Numbers 20: 11,12
God manifested Himself on that dry afternoon in the midst of the people of Israel, who were being so rebellious under the guidance of faithless leaders. They had lost trust in God as they experienced the hardships of the desert. Moses should have never hit the rock. But with angry in his troubled heart, he attributed to himself the glory that belonged only to the Creator. The water gushed out; it is true. Yet they had all distrusted the Lord who had brought them out of the land of slavery.
It was never God's plan for Moses to strike the rock. Human irritation and passion welled up in his heart before the water gushed out of the rock. "Hear now, you rebels!" (Numbers 20:10), he said. That expression was not pain for the rebellion of the people but from wounded pride and weariness. The water gushed out, and the people drank, but then it dried up forever. And Moses, because of his impatience, lost the right to enter the land of his dreams.
Despite human errors, God never abandons His children. Jesus accompanied them throughout the journey, satisfying the thirst of the people. Wherever water was lacking, it flowed from the crevices of the rocks. Christ caused the refreshing brook to flow for Israel. "For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4).
Christ is the Rock that offers us a kind of water that one drinks and never thirsts again (John 4:14). Only He can inexhaustibly satisfy our deepest needs and longings. One day, Christ was wounded for our sins and crushed for our disobedience. From His wounded side flowed blood, not water. The blood that washes away our sins and purifies our wickedness. Despite our mistakes, He will never abandon us.
Take Action
You do not need to force ("hit") the Rock to bless you. Jesus loves you just the way you are, and He only hopes you will be blessed by Him. List at least five blessings that you have received from God, and this reflection will surely fill you with gratitude towards Him.