A Devotion from C.H. Spurgeon

“I am the Lord, who heals you.”
—Exodus 15:26

The task of turning Marah sweet was very difficult. No human power could have achieved it; even so, changing human nature is impossible to us. We must be born again, born of God. There was no turning Marah sweet by any means in the reach of Moses or the myriad that came with him out of Egypt. This wonder must come from Jehovah’s hand. So the change of human nature is a thing beyond all human might. Who can make his or her own heart clean? God must work this marvel. We must be born again from above, or else we will remain bitter to the end.

Yet the work was very easy to God. How simple a thing it was to cast a tree into the bitter water and find it sweet at once. Even so, it is an easy thing to God to make you a new heart and a right spirit and thus to incline you to everything that is right and good. If I had to make myself holy I must despair, and if I had to make myself perfect and keep myself so it would never be done, but the Lord Jehovah can do it—and has already begun to do it. Simple faith in Jesus Christ, the putting of the Cross into the stream, does it all and so effectively that there is no return of bitterness—the heart remains sweet and pure before the living God.

The task was completely accomplished. As the people freely drank of Marah, so God will complete in me the change of my nature. Paul says he is “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ.” The Lord has not begun to sweeten us with the intent of leaving us in a half-healed condition, but he will continue the process till we are without defilement, made pure and right in his sight.

This work glorifies God. If the change of Marah’s water made the people praise God, much more will the change of nature make us adore him forever. We are going to be exalted to the highest place in the universe next to God. Humanity—poor, sinful humanity—is to be so changed as to be able to stand side by side with Christ. The tendency to pride would be very strong, except that we will always recollect what we used to be and what power has made us what we are. This will make it safe for God to glorify his people.