When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. . . . And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

I love the story of how God turned bitter, poisonous waters into sweet, refreshing waters for His people when they came to a place called Marah (meaning “bitterness” in Hebrew). When the Israelites could not drink the water, Moses cried out to the Lord. The Lord showed him a tree, which Moses cast into the waters. When he did that, the Bible says that “the waters were made sweet.”

I love how God’s solution then is still God’s solution now: Throw in the tree—a picture of Jesus at the cross—to turn the bitter waters sweet.

Today, in the midst of the bitter waters of your pain or condition, I want to encourage you to bring in Jesus and see what He did for you at the cross. Relief and healing don’t come from dwelling on your pain. Bring in the tree—the cross of Jesus—and see your bitter waters become sweet!