What God Is Waiting to Hear

A human being can go for weeks without eating, but we can survive only a few days without water. When Israel came to Rephidim, there was no water in sight (see Exodus 17). Before long, children were crying, and families were growing faint from thirst. It was a critical situation.

Moses understood the ways of the Lord, and he knew what was happening with Israel. He realized that God was letting his people be stretched beyond measure. Why? Because the Lord wanted them to cast themselves completely into his care. He longed to see them rise up in faith and say, “God is able!” Scripture then tells us, “So [Moses] called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” (Exodus 17:7, NKJV).

Tragically, Israel did not trust the Lord, so God instructed Moses to pick up his rod and strike a certain rock there. When Moses hit the rock, water came gushing out to meet Israel’s thirst. The Lord proved once again that he was with his people in spite of their unbelief.

But how did Israel tempt the Lord in this episode? Was it in their anger toward Moses? Was it their attempts to turn back to Egypt? Or was it in their idolatrous fornication? None of these things was the real issue. Here is how Israel tempted God: They murmured against the Lord and asked, “Is God even really here?”

God had that water in storage all along. He could have supplied it to Israel at the first pangs of their thirst, but he waited. His heart yearned for his special, chosen people to recognize his love for them and cast themselves into his faithful arms. Once again, they failed.

So God tried them yet again, this time by allowing them to hunger (see Deuteronomy 8:2-3). Would Israel hold their empty stomachs and wait for God to send them bread? Would they encourage one another toward faith? All God wanted was to hear, “God, you opened the Red Sea for us and sweetened the bitter waters of Marah. We trust you to feed us. Live or die, we are yours.” That is all God was waiting to hear! That is all he has ever wanted to hear from his children.