Thought for the Week 8 November 2026

Welcome to our service today as we continue to journey with the freed Israelite slaves through the wilderness, on their way to the Promised Land. A common theme of this journey is the way the people grumble and complain about their situation. They act like they are being punished instead of liberated! But their concerns are real; where is the food, where is the water? How can we survive in this barren place?  In today’s passage from Exodus 17 we see once again the problem of no water (in chapter 15 they found water, but it was undrinkable until God showed Moses how to make it drinkable). And once again the reflex is to grumble and complain about. And once again God proves faithful by providing water to flow from a rock, a very unlikely source.

This story invites us to consider what sustains our faith and life?  We can have big spectacular and even miraculous things happen (like crossing the Red Sea) which might start us on our journey, but these things may not sustain us along the way. What we need is the regular presence of God in our lives. As Jesus said, “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst” (John 4:13). How does this work for you? What things sustain your life of faith? Prayer, scripture, fellowship, worship, contemplation are all possibilities and can play a significant role in keeping us moving forward in God, with grateful hearts.

Nga mihi nui, Brent