The people in Exodus 17:3-7 were wandering in a desert, seemingly aimlessly. They were tired; they were thirsty, and they were grumpy and angry. Let’s be honest – they were frightened! Even after the many things God had done to help them escape their captivity, they doubted that God was still with them.
How often we all do the same. We forget the good things we’ve experienced as soon as one not-so-good or really bad thing occurs. We forget we aren’t alone, that there is something-someone greater than ourselves, that one we call God, walking beside us as we navigate our lives. We forget, as the psalmist sings in Psalm 9, God created us, we are God’s, and God will care for us like a shepherd takes care of the sheep.