Today I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “The Bitter Water of Marah Becomes Sweet.” Jacob went to Egypt through Joseph, and his family lived there for 430 years. This is not just a short number of years! So, the number of men were about 600,000 so we can assume the total number of the Israelites was about 3 million, including their parents and siblings. These three million Israelites were liberated from slavery in Egypt. As they moved toward the land of Canaan, they crossed the border of Egypt and the Red Sea and entered the wilderness. They could have entered the promised land flowing with milk and honey within a few days through the wilderness. The Israelites followed Moses and passed into the wilderness miraculously and walked for three days. However, they didn’t know what to do there. When entering the wilderness during the daytime it ranges from scorching by strong sunlight to when the sun sets and evening comes it becomes so chilly that you seem to be in the North Pole. Further, the Israelites became so thirsty that they cried out to Moses, “Give us water to drink.” Then one man shouted loudly, “Here is water!” They all ran to the spot, but found that the water was bitter. It stank and they flinched. It was tasted terrible. The Israelites were at the end of their rope. They began crying. Their food and water was already gone and they could not bear scorching heat in the daytime and the cold at night anymore. They complained, “Haven’t we followed God to die in the wilderness like this?” Then Moses prayed to God. “You commanded me to lead this huge crowd into the wilderness where there is no water but only cold and chill. How can you bring them into a warm place? From the beginning I said that I couldn’t do this! Why did you put me in this situation?” Then God, the Lord, showed him a piece of wood and ordered him to throw it into the water. Moses took it and threw it into the water, and amazingly there was a strange wave from the wood and the water became sweet. This incident was recorded to teach us an important lesson. When we teach sweetness to others, we’d better let them taste bitterness first and then they will know the difference between sweetness and bitterness. When they experience coldness, they come to recognize warmness. When they pass through hunger, they come to appreciate being full. When God teaches us, He makes us pass through all these kinds of things first and then gives us the best thing. We also experience bitterness in life. Our life is like a journey that passes through the desert and heads toward the land of Canaan. In our journey of life, there are various painful situations like hunger and thirst in our society. Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 says, “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.” This Teacher said that our lives are not quite different from those of the Israelites who had to drink the bitter water. All of us have to drink bitter water, but it will pass away. There is no one who always drinks only sweet water. Even if we sometimes have to drink bitter water, we still have hope; that is a difference between us and worldy people. The amazing power of the cross of Jesus has the power to sweeten the bitter water in our lives. Jesus Christ our Savior always sweetens any bitter water in our life whenever He enters into it. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Romans 6:17-18 says, “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” When sinners embrace the cross of Jesus, their sins become forgiven righteousness. Therefore, those who need righteousness must hold the cross tight and then righteous life will be given to them. Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” When we crucify dirty bitter water on the cross, our sinful nature with its passions and desires will disappear and we become holy. When the Lord also holds the bitter water of our diseases, it will become different. Even the bitter water situation of curses in life is also settled. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’" When we throw the wood of the cross into curses, it will become sweetened. While living in this world, whatever we do brings only thorns and thistles, but when we hold the cross into our bosom, curses and thorns will be gone and everything will be changed. When we hold the cross with true hearts and live a God-centered life, our bitter water in life will be sweetened. God’s blessings will come to our daily life. Even the bitter water of death and grave will be sweetened when we hold the cross. It will become a sweet water of resurrection and heaven. This sweet water brings changes to us; when we put the cross into the bitter water, it becomes sweet. When we drink it, we will have positive hearts and minds. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” We become positive in our hearts so we can have this attitude, saying, “I can make it. It will be done. Let us do it.” If we keep having negative hearts saying, “I will be depressed tomorrow,” it will be done according to our thoughts. As our thoughts lead our lives, the sweet water that changes us is our positive hearts. Mark 9:23 says, " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Our positive hearts bring positive thoughts and make us successful. Also this sweet water has hopeful dreams. When we drink this sweet water, we come to have hope in our hearts. Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” God first puts desire and hope in our hearts. The Holy Spirit never works with any hopeless people. God first gives us hope and works through that hope. God also gives us faith. Mark 11:22-24 says, "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Even if we have to face mountain-like difficulties, as we pray with faith, that mountain will be moved away from us. When we believe in Jesus, To each us God has given us faith in accordance with the measure. There is no one who does not have faith. When we have positive faith, mountain-like problems will be gone. You are not an ordinary people. As you have faith, it is a huge wealth and treasure. Next, your creative declaration, mouth confession is very important. Whether you confess, “I can make it,” or “I will fail,” or “I will die due to this disease,” or “I won’t die!” God will work according to your mouth confession. Numbers 14:28 says, “So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.” When our mouth confession is heard to God, He will do to us the very things He hear us say. Therefore, we should be careful; if we say negative things God will do to us accordingly. Next, the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, has come to sweeten the bitter water in our lives. When our hearts are filled with worries, anxiety, and troubles, He will change them into joyful ones. John 14:1 says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” When we believe in Jesus, He will remove worries from our hearts and then fill them with joy instead. John 14:16 says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--” The Lord prays to the Father to send another Counselor who is like Himself to believers to give them peace of mind. Now the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, comes to your hearts. Therefore, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. Isaiah 61:3 says, “and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” It is the work of the Holy Spirit our Counselor that gives us the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair to make us live a joyful life. He is also with us to work for us. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” When we commit our burdensome problems to the Lord and rely on Him, He never leaves us but settles all our burdens. The wilderness lacks everything and is a barren and a waste land. So no one loves it. However, we should keep in mind that it is the place where we can experience whether God is a good God or not and what kinds of miracles God will perform. Only in the wilderness can we experience it. During forty years God fed the Israelites with Manna and quails and drinking water in the wilderness and their clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on their feet. He led them by the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. Even if your life seems like the wilderness, as long as God is with you, it can be the place of miracles and blessings. Therefore, when God is with us, only in the wilderness can we experience true blessings of God. Even though our lives seem like the wilderness, we must acknowledge that God is walking with us. The Counselor the Holy Spirit is taking care of us and guiding us. Therefore, we should not be afraid, but rely on God, and boldly move forward no matter what kind of situations we face. Then God will work miracles for us. It is on the cross where our solution to our problems can be found. The greatest present we have is the cross of Jesus. We should hold the cross in our prayer. God loves anyone who comes to Him while holding the cross and never leaves him. Even today the cross of Jesus is given to you. Live a successful life while holding the cross.