Water from the Rock
Hello Friend,
It’s been a while since I connected with you and I’ve missed that and you even more. As always, there is a word from the Lord but first allow me to testify!
Last year, God said he’d blow my mind and he did over and above that. I am still in awe not only of what he did, but also of how he did it! The long and short of it is that with the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a postgraduate degree. Although it took me a while, my ‘one-thing’ is done! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
Here’s a quick word of encouragement for someone who may have been on a long journey, keep at it and don’t lose heart. Your salvation is nearer than when you first believed. You will reach your expected end. It shall come to pass. Your word will come and become flesh! All you need to do is maintain focus and alignment with God and your goals. Let’s clarify these terms.
Focus is the ability to clearly define something (usually visually) or to pay attention, or make something your center of attention or interest. Identify just one thing and stick with the task until it is accomplished.
Alignment has to do with the arrangement, organisation, placement, or readjustment of imperfectly or badly placed things in order to make them compatible and harmonized with one another. This involves getting rid of curves, contortions, and conflicts as well as deviations, distractions, and distortions. Take a look at your prayer life, health, or finances. If things are not as they should in the stage of life you are in, it might just be that something needs to be aligned.
While I just talked about 2022 and shared some helpful tips that got me through, you might wonder what’s in store for 2023. Glad you are keen because God said he’d bring out water from the rock! Sounds impossible right? But God has done it before and he can do it again. Let’s explore different instances where God did it and how he did it:
Strike – to deliver a sharp, strategic, and offensive blow to a target.
At some point in the Israelites’ journey after they crossed the Red Sea, they arrived at a place called Rephidim and became thirsty. They had been wandering in the wilderness of Sin but somehow progressed to this place of refreshment at the command of the Lord. This is good news, friend and demonstrates that God is still in the business of ordering steps. He can bring you out of danger into safety, detangle you from whatever web or maze you may be in, lift you up if you’re sinking in the sea of sin, loneliness, anxiety, depression, stagnation, self-doubt, sickness, debt, joblessness, or bankruptcy. No matter how stinky or sticky your situation might be, God can help you!
In response to Israel’s grumbles and murmurs (which is not recommended), God gave Moses an instruction on how to deal with the problem.
I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So, Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on. Exodus 17:6
I am encouraged by the fact that God was present and standing throughout their ordeal. Also, the emphasis on the word ‘gushed’ indicating a torrential flow as opposed to a drop, especially when coming out of a rock, blesses me immensely. Another thing is that he did it while they watched. #hollaapraise to Jehova sharp sharp! Friend, do you see how loving and amazing he is?
Speak-to express thoughts, beliefs, and ideas verbally or in speech. In other words, prophesy as you are commanded!
As the Israelites’ arrived the wilderness of Zin near the southern part of the Dead Sea and camped at Kadesh, Miriam died and no water was available, so the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron. God saw this and in his providence gave directives.
You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock. So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. Numbers 20: 8-11
Unfortunately, Moses defied God’s instruction to speak to the rock and struck it instead – an action which shortened his life and ministry, especially the unique privilege of leading the people of God into the Promised Land. This underscores the importance of remaining aligned with God in order to complete what he’s started in, through, and with you.
Although Moses didn’t adhere to God’s instructions, God in his faithfulness provided for his people. Once again, water gushed and they drank to their fill – they and their livestocks. This is nothing but goodness, mercy, and overflow.
Sing – to produce musical tones and/ or melodious sounds.
Having passed through ‘Zin’, the Israelites’ pilgrimage was almost over but they had to go through yet another wilderness on Moab’s eastern border and camped by River Arnon. This is after a long detour due to the Edomites’ (descendants of Esau) refusal to allow them passage through their town. As a result, they grew impatient and started to complain not only about water but food also. God dealt with this by sending poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.
Shortly afterwards, he redeemed and restored all who obeyed a simple instruction – look up and live! Continuing the journey was a remnant thirsty and without any water in sight, but sang anyway!
From there the Israelites travelled to Beer, which is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, and I will give them water.” Then Israel sang this song about the well: “Make your water spring up! Sing to the well. The well dug by princes, dug out by the nobles of the people with their scepters and staffs.” Numbers 21:16-18
It is generally believed that ‘spring up’ is a prophecy or prayer that God would cause water to flow out of the earth as it did from the rock when Moses struck it with his rod; hence, they struck the earth with their scepters and staffs. Another popular belief is that the people and leaders used their scepters and staffs to dig the holes from which God caused water to spring up. Either way, there was a shift in their posture and behaviour -they became proactive, purposeful, prophetic, prayer warriors, and praisers. In any case, a miracle took place! You might as well take a praise break.
Let’s celebrate! The well has given us water (CEV)
Wells, produce your water; And we will greet it with a song (GNT)
Erupt, Well! Sing the Song of the Well (MSG)
Water signifies a number of things including Spirit, life, refreshing, cleansing, or the end of drought. Friend, God wants to restore and give you times of refreshing, irrigate your dry places, and break up your hard and fallow grounds. You can also consider water to be a metaphor for your desire, while rock refers to your difficulties. God is the only potentate who in his infinite power can meet your needs in many ways at the right time. Stop worrying about when or how what he has purposed, established, and completed for you will manifest.
To summarise this epistle:
- Before there was a ‘gushing out’ or ‘welling up’, the people had to assemble or if you will, align. Trust and obey, friend.
- God has and is the ultimate answer and willing to meet you at the point of your needs. When it comes to your part in the process, asking is better than complaining.
- Different approaches may be needed at different times for the same situation. Know when to strike, speak, or sing.