Four hundred thirsty years of slavery lay behind them. Forty years of desert wandering lay ahead of them. Three days into their journey, the Israelites began to grumble. They had barely gotten started.

The desert - Hot. Dry. Rocky. Thorny. Little to feed the body, and little to quench the thirst. Only what the LORD provided. That wasn’t enough. They wanted to go back. They had it better as slaves.

It’s easy to for us to ask: “Hadn’t the Israelites seen the mighty acts of God done on their behalf? The Plagues? The Passover? The pillar of cloud? The Red Sea?

Then we come to our own deserts - loneliness, illness, and frustration. Career misgivings, family struggles, and relationship problems. Wondering if we’re making a difference in the world. Questioning why we make the effort. Burning out. The people, places, and things of our old ways of life can be enticing. We sometimes want to turn back to them. We think we had it better back then - until we look upon Him who offers us living water, the One who is the Bread of Life. He promised that those who come to Him will never go hungry. He promised that those who believe in Him will never thirst.