I Am Your Healer - Jehovah Rapha Series

I AM Your Healer - JEHOVAH RAPHA

Main Text: Exodus 15:26 Supporting Texts: Psalm 103:3, Jeremiah 30:17

INTRODUCTION

Picture the scene. The Israelites stand on the far shore of the Red Sea. Behind them, the waters have closed over Pharaoh's army. The chariots lie crushed beneath the waves. The taskmasters who wielded whips over their backs now float lifeless in the sea.

Moses and Miriam lead the people in worship. They sing of God's power. They declare His victory. They proclaim His faithfulness. "The LORD is my strength and my song," they cry out (Exodus 15:2). Their voices echo across the wilderness. Their hearts overflow with praise.

Three days later, everything changes.

The same people who sang now grumble. The same voices that praised now complain. The same hearts that trusted now doubt. They find bitter water at Marah. They forget the Red Sea. They forget Egypt's plagues. They forget God's miraculous deliverance.

This sermon addresses a question every believer faces: How do you respond when life turns bitter after experiencing God's power? The journey from the Red Sea to Marah teaches us about God's healing presence in our most difficult moments. God did not bring Israel through the Red Sea to abandon them in the wilderness. He revealed Himself as Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, at the precise moment they needed Him most.

1. FROM BITTER TO SWEET (Exodus 15:22-25)

A. Three Days Without Water

Moses led Israel into the Desert of Shur. For three days, they walked without finding water. Imagine the scene. Two million people. Their livestock. Their children. The desert sun beats down. Throats become parched. Lips crack. Desperation grows.

Three days feels like an eternity when you need water. Parents watch their children suffer. The elderly struggle to continue. The strong begin to weaken. Then someone spots water ahead. Hope surges through the camp. People rush forward. They cup their hands. They drink deeply.

Then they spit it out.

The water tastes bitter. The hope turns to despair. The relief becomes disappointment. Numbers 33:8 tells us they had just passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground. They had witnessed the impossible. Yet three days later, they forget God's power when facing a practical problem.

This pattern repeats throughout our lives. We experience God's deliverance in one area. We praise Him for His faithfulness. Then a new problem arises. We panic. We forget what God has already done. We focus on the bitter water instead of remembering the parted sea.

B. The Bitter Springs of Marah

The name Marah means "bitter." The location revealed the people's hearts. They complained against Moses. But Exodus 15:24 shows us the deeper issue. When we complain about our circumstances, we really complain against God's leadership. The people questioned why God brought them to this place.

God had a purpose for Marah. He did not make a mistake in His navigation. He did not forget to check the water quality beforehand. He intentionally led them to bitter water. Why? Because trials function as X-rays for the soul. They reveal what lies beneath the surface.

The bitter water did not create bitterness in the people. The bitter water revealed bitterness already present in their hearts. Jesus taught this principle in Luke 6:45: "Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Difficult circumstances do not manufacture attitudes. They expose them.

Consider how Jesus responded to trials. Soldiers beat Him. Religious leaders mocked Him. Friends abandoned Him. People spat on Him. Yet from the cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). No bitterness emerged because no bitterness existed within.

C. When Life Disappoints

You will face your own Marah moments. Everyone does. You pray for a job. You receive a rejection letter. You hope for healing. The diagnosis stays the same. You trust for reconciliation. The relationship ends. You expect provision. The need remains unmet.

Marah comes to every believer. You will not bypass these experiences. You will not detour around them. God places them in your path for a reason. Romans 5:3-4 explains: "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope."

God uses disappointment as His classroom. He teaches lessons through trials that we would never learn through ease. James 1:2-4 instructs us to "count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

The question is not whether Marah will come. The question is how you will respond when life turns bitter. Will you grumble against God? Or will you cry out to Him for help?

2. I AM THE LORD WHO HEALS YOU (Exodus 15:26, Psalm 147:3)

A. Jehovah Rapha Revealed

Moses cried out to the LORD (Exodus 15:25). He did not try to fix the problem himself. He did not attempt to organize a committee. He did not blame the people for complaining. He turned to God immediately.