Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”
Okay, I will admit I did this to my children. Can you say the same? I bet you can because why not? When children are babies, it’s fun introducing them to new foods and watch their reactions. One of the most common go-to as a parent, at least once with their young child, is to give them a lemon. Those tiny little faces pucker up and the eyes are like, ‘Oh no no no what did you just give me?’ Why do we do it, who knows, but I am guilty of being that parent too. They make those faces and pucker up because a lemon can be quite sour, and our instinct is to react. If you bit into a lemon today, you might still make the same face.
Now, I am my mother’s daughter, and I have acquired a liking for most things lemon-flavored. My mother loves almost all things lemon-flavored. Fresh lemonade, lemon-flavored desserts, and slices of lemon in beverages. When food is flavored with a hint of lemon it takes the sour and makes it sweet tart.
The best things about lemons are the health benefits. They contain vitamin C which helps with weight management, anemia, and kidney stone prevention, enhances your complexion, and reduces risk of heart disease. It has antibacterial effects, helps with cancer prevention, provides immune system support, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of diabetes.
This is the kind of God we serve. He is an amazing Creator! Only He could build so many sweet purposes into something so sour.
We all will face situations that will overwhelm and defeat us. We may ask God, “Why is this happening to me?” When life seems out of control remember the devil is the one wanting to harm you with evil, but like the lemons, God will turn it around for good.
One of the biggest misunderstandings of the Christian walk is that we assume life should be easier once we’ve accepted Jesus into our hearts and lives. It is a comforting thought to imagine that once we have chosen Jesus we will be saved from the trials of life. It sounds nice to imagine that being saved by the blood of Christ also means we’re saved from the trials of this life and now we’re going to live on Easy Street. But this is just another way for the devil to deceive you with false hope. So, when things go wrong, and trials begin you will blame God and turn from Him.
A great example of this is with the Israelites. Their story parallels our own lives quite well. They are one of the greatest stories of redemption, freed from the bonds of Egypt as slaves, as we are slaves to sin. Saved by the blood of the lamb over their doorposts just as we are saved by the blood of the Lamb of God. And finally, just as God led Israel out of Egypt to serve Him, so Christ has set us free so we can love and serve Him.
What is interesting is that even after they were free, we see them having to endure many trials and hardships as they made their way to the Promised Land. God never issued them a pass to avoid everything difficult from there on out. In fact, just hours into their adventure their lives required faith, trust, and surrender by the boatload (no pun intended). Before many days passed the Israelites found themselves stuck between the Red Sea and an angry Egyptian army.
Why? So, they could experience God and His goodness and power as He parted the waters. As they walked on dry ground, they were able to see their Savior grant them victory.
Sometimes life’s challenges are actually good blessings in disguise. As we go through hard seasons, God can use them to mold and grow us, turning those “bad” things into good. If this had not happened, the nation of Israel would have missed God’s powerful display of sovereignty and their trust in Him would be waning.
This had to have been an incredible moment to witness, as God literally split the Red Sea in half. Yet, we can also know from our own experiences that God doesn’t always split the waters.
You may be waiting for God to split your raging waters so you can walk through them, but just as the Israelites we may have to go through the bitter before we get to taste the sweet. Soon after the miracle of the sea the people again were complaining because what they thought would be easy street still gave them their lemons. They became thirsty and tired and as they came into Marah, they found a river, but the water was bitter and undrinkable. As we read in Exodus 15, God instructs Moses to throw a log into the water and the water became sweet to drink.
Just as God used a tree to turn Israel’s bitter water into something sweet, so God will take our bitter or sour and turn it into something sweet. We’re never without hope as followers of Jesus. Salvation isn’t a pass to avoid difficult things. Our journey (just like Israel’s journey) is full of challenges, temptations, and heartache (lemons will be thrown at us). Our redeeming light comes from the trust we have in Jesus, just as Israel had reasons to trust God. Just as they had promises to cling to, so do we. When we cling to those promises and hold fast to Christ, even during the most bitter circumstances, we will be able to taste the sweet.
If you’ve been patiently (or anxiously) waiting for God to part the waters in a particular situation, try another tactic. Throw the gospel on top of that raging sea and let God sweeten the water instead of getting rid of it. Take the lemons and make some lemonade, or lemon pie, or try making some orange juice and really confuse them.
There may be seasons when you feel Easy Street is a long way off, but God is still good. The gospel is still true, Jesus is still here. There is no one like our God. Sometimes He parts the water, and sometimes He simply makes it drinkable, clinging to Jesus and experiencing God’s faithful hand. God can take anything bad, meant to harm, disarm, and mislead you, and turn it around for good.
Having God in your life doesn’t mean you move onto Easy Street it:
It means God is for you and not against you.
It means you have hope and a future.
It means Christ is your advocate, and every spiritual blessing is at your disposal.
It means you are never alone.
It means the Holy Spirit dwells in you.
It means you have the benefit of storing up treasure in heaven.
It means you will spend forever with your Savior!
I hope this blog finds you in the midst of many blessings. But, if you are struggling through some sour lemons, know God is with you and those lemons will be turned into something sweet. Remember, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28.
If you want to experience sweetness from any sours in your life, it is best to open God’s Word and dive in. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in what passages will help you through the trials in life. Trust God and His promises and cling to Him for the victory He has promised you.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on ConnectWithGodDaily
Featured Image by Pixabay
