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Hugh Osgood
Water from the Rock:
40 days to refesh your faith

Copyright 2017 by Hugh Osgood

Published by Charis House Publishing

St Pauls House
Edison Road
Bromley, BR2 0EP
contact@hughosgood.com

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or be transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic,
photocopying or otherwise without the prior consent of the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations, unless stated otherwise, are from the Holy Bible,
New King James Version, Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, 1988
Thomas Nelson Inc.
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers

ISBN 978-0-9935488-2-6
 Contents
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Introduction 5

1. Wilderness Miracles 9

2. Catching Gods Attention 22

3. Encountering Jesus 34

4. The Grace that Makes Us Gracious 46

5 More Encounters with Jesus 58

6. The Song of a Shepherded Soul 70

7. Living on the Edge 82

8. Living up to a Name 94

Epilogue 106
 Introduction
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The Christian Church has always had a pattern of celebration

and commemoration. Initially complexity and simplicity sat side-

by-side as Jewish and Gentile Christians worshipped in the First

Century.

At its most simple, the pattern involved a first day of the

week commemoration of the resurrection, into which was

incorporated (through the breaking of bread, the operation

of the gifts of the Spirit and the teaching of Gods word) a

celebratory commemoration of all the significant elements of

Christs redeeming work His incarnation, earthly life, miracle

ministry, teaching, sacrificial death, resurrection, ascension,

the outpouring of the Spirit, His heavenly reign and coming

Kingdom. When the annual pattern of Jewish agricultural

celebration and sacrificial commemoration as set out in the Old

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Testament was added into this, it became more complex but

arguably more enriched.

The Apostle Paul was rightly determined not to lay on Gentile

shoulders a retrospective dependence on Jewish ritual

(emphasising the fulfilment of both its sacrificial system

and ceremonial law in and through Christ), yet nevertheless

he taught the significance of the main Jewish feasts,

underscoring their symbolic importance in the life of Jesus. No

one was left in any doubt that Jesus was crucified at Passover

and that the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost.

It is probably not surprising that Church history has seen

weekly simplicity and annual patterning combine. So, in

producing this collection of thoughts for forty days, I have kept

in mind that some Christians prefer simplicity and others prefer

a pattern.

There are two significant forty-day periods in the life of Jesus:

the forty days He spent in the wilderness and the forty days

between His resurrection and ascension. Historically the

Church has linked the forty days (Lent) leading up to Passover

(Easter) with the wilderness period as a way of preparing

Christians for the coming celebration of the cross and

empty tomb. I mention both periods, though, for in my mind

meditation, worship and interaction have to go together.

I cannot think of Jesus in the wilderness, contemplating

His three years of earthly ministry, without thinking of Him

celebrating the success of that ministry with His friends before

His ascension. In my mind everything comes together: the

types and figures of the Old Testament with their fulfilment in

the New; the miracles, teaching, cross and resurrection with

the ascension, the outpouring of the Spirit and Christs kingly

reign; lives transformed by Jesus in His earthly ministry with

lives that have been, and are still being, transformed by Jesus

as our risen and reigning Lord.

This forty-day collection of thoughts is deliberately mixed,

drawing from a range of biblical themes. The thoughts come

in sets of five because they were originally recorded as

ninety second inserts for Premier Christian Radios week-day

breakfast programme. It is, therefore, possible to use them as

a collection to dip into as well as a series to follow.

My prayer is that as these thoughts encourage you to think

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about Gods engagement in your day, you will find the joy and

strength to live for Him more wholeheartedly in the privacy of

your home, as well as in the busyness of your community and

workplace.
 1

Wilderness
Miracles
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The theme for this first set of five thoughts is that, to live well,

we need to know that God is watching over us and engaging

with us, especially when times are tough.

Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, but the children of

Israel, under Moses, camped in the wilderness for forty years!

The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land should have

taken little more than twelve months, even allowing for time

spent hearing from God at Mount Sinai, but rebellion comes at

a price. The emerging nation was condemned to wander for

forty years after their refusal to enter the Promised Land upon

their first arrival at Canaans border.

We can see from Exodus through to Deuteronomy that God

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sustained His people in amazing ways, both before and after

their rebellion, which sadly turned out to be more a state of

mind, with frequent rebellious outbreaks, rather than just a

one-off act. So we start, just after the successful Red Sea

crossing, with bitter waters made sweet at Marah (Exodus 15),

and move on, beyond the nearby oasis of Elim, to bread from

heaven with the provision of Manna on the approach to Mount

Sinai (Exodus 16).

On the outskirts of Mount Sinai, we take in the amazing

story of water from the rock (Exodus 17). We then consider

Aarons appointment as High Priest, which took place after

Moses had received the law (Exodus 20), focussing on

Aarons confirmation in office through the rod that budded

(Numbers 17). Finally, as the children of Israel begin at last

their final approach to the Promised Land, we look at the story

of the healing they received through the serpent on the pole

(Numbers 21).

In each of these miracles we see Gods grace, and by starting

these forty days with a focus on Gods sustaining faithfulness,

we are laying a foundation for our forty days.

Incidentally, for those who intend to use these thoughts as a

collection to dip into rather than as a series to follow, Gods

faithfulness is a good place to start dipping!

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Day One

Bitter water made sweet

! Exodus 15

THEME: To live life well we need to know that God is watching over us
and engaging with us, especially when times are tough.

The victory at the Red Sea had led to a three-day thirst-riven

trek into the desert. Suddenly there was a glint of sunlight on

some water ahead and hopes began to soar. Optimism was

dashed, though, the moment the water was tasted. It was far

too bitter for anyone to drink, and Moses bore the brunt of

everyones complaining.

Within three days Moses had gone from national hero to a

focus for discontent. Gods intervention was desperately

needed, not so much to salvage Moses reputation as to

quench the peoples thirst.

A few more days and they would have arrived at the oasis of

Elim with its twelve wells and seventy palm trees, but God

wanted to reveal His interventionist power. It is easy to walk

away disgruntled from bitter water but it is another thing

entirely to see bitter water made sweet.

God showed Moses a tree. Given the polluted environment,

it did not look particularly flourishing or attractive, but

Moses was inspired to uproot it and cast it into the pool.

The transformation was instant. The unpalatable was made

palatable and the people were refreshed.

Maybe today you will be in contact with bitterness and want

to walk away. Two thousand years ago the cross of Jesus

stood in the midst of a polluted environment and then as now

the benefits of His reconciling death can be applied to any

situation demanding transformation.

Let us see the bitter made sweet.

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Day Two

Bread from heaven

! Exodus 16

THEME: To live life well we need to know that God is watching over us
and engaging with us, especially when times are tough.

It is hard to believe that, within a few weeks of leaving Egypt,

the children of Israel wanted to go back. It was, of course,

a short-sighted delusion, but hunger can make even logical

thinkers confused. And they were so famished that dreams

of cooking pots and visions of fresh bread warped even their

memories of slavery.

Gods generosity in providing manna as fine as frost on the

ground and as sweet as honey to the taste was only part of

His miraculous intervention. The fact that the children of Israel

were gracious enough to share out their daily collections, and

then benefitted by not having to gather it on the Sabbath, were

miracles too.
More remarkable still was the fact that God continued to

supply manna afresh, six days a week, while they wandered for

forty years in rebellion. No wonder Moses told Aaron to place

a jar of manna in the Ark of the Covenant, alongside the two

stone tablets of the law. It was a powerful reminder of Gods

faithfulness.

Years later, Jesus spoke of Himself as being Gods daily

provision for our spiritual hunger. Yet ever since there have

been those who have ignored His provision and conjured up

false pictures of supposed plenty, hiding the reality of their

spiritual hunger.

Let us be truly grateful for the true

provision that he supplies from heaven.

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Day Three

Water from the Rock

! Exodus 17

THEME: To live life well we need to know that God is watching over us
and engaging with us, especially when times are tough.

We have already seen how important water is in the desert and

forty years of preparatory wilderness living, while looking after

his father-in-laws sheep, would have ensured that Moses knew

all the watering places the Sinai Peninsula had to offer. But

twelve tribes of people need more water than one mans flock

of sheep.

The bitter waters made sweet at Marah had served well, as

had the twelve wells at Elim. Now, once again, the people were

thirsty. And Moses had yet to discover the secret of Gods

supply.
In the end, all it took was a rock and a staff, and some of

Israels elders to act as witnesses. The plan was simple a

rock would release water: the first time in response to a blow,

then subsequently whenever Moses spoke to whatever outcrop

God had appointed in the vicinity!

The revelation was going to be given step-by-step and the

initial striking went well. The people drank water from the rock

at Horeb. Later at Kadesh it did not go so well. Moses used his

staff a second time, striking the rock when he should have just

spoken to it.

The New Testament shows us that Jesus is our Rock, and

because He was struck at Calvary, we only need to speak to

Him to receive all the refreshment we need.

No matter how well we think we know the path

through life, it is good to discover that God has
miraculous ways of refreshing us day-by-day,
wherever we are.

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Day Four

The rod that budded

! Numbers 17

THEME: To live life well we need to know that God is watching over us
and engaging with us, especially when times are tough.

When times are tough God can set a new direction for our lives.

This was certainly true for Moses older brother, Aaron. God

was setting up a sacrificial system in the wilderness that would

serve the children of Israel well in the Promised Land. A high

priest was needed to carry out the most important sacrifices

and Aaron was Gods choice.

There was, however, a problem. Aaron had led the people

astray when Moses was receiving Gods instructions on the

mountain. God had forgiven him, but a dented reputation is

hard to overcome.
Aaron was fulfilling his new role well. He had been washed,

robed, anointed and consecrated and was enjoying serving God

in the Tabernacle on behalf of the people. He loved the Holy

Place lit by the golden lampstand with its carvings of almond

blossoms and fruit, yet leadership comes at a price and some

people questioned if he was the right man for the role.

Aaron, along with the leaders of the other eleven tribes, had a

staff he leant on that marked his experience and signified his

authority. Moses took the twelve rods of the leaders and laid

them in the tabernacle overnight. In the morning Aarons rod

had budded and was covered with almond buds, blossom and

fruit. What better confirmation could there be that Aaron, fully

forgiven and fully restored, was serving in the right place.

Sometimes God goes to great lengths

to bring His reassurance to our lives.

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