Trusting God with our problems Know your Bible+Testimony“take staff” Meet with Christians“Call the assembly” Speak to God “Speak to the Rock” God’s character may be the same yesterday, today and forever, but the way he acts is varied. Our relationship with God is more important than the sorting out of a problem

God, water and us 6 SepNoah and the RainbowGenesis 9: SepMoses and the Red seaExodus SepMoses at MerribahNumbers 20: SepJoshua and JordanJoshua 3 4 OctNaaman and Jordan2 Kings 5 11 OctBaptism of JohnLuke 3: OctLiving waterJohn 4:5-15; 7: OctWalking on WaterMatthew 14: NovPhilip finds WaterActs 8: NovLiving water in heavenRevelation 7

4:3 The LORD said, "Throw your staff on the ground." and it became a snake,. 7:17 With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 8:5 “Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams, canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'" 8:16 "Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,' and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats." 22 "Stretch out your hand towards the sky so that hail may fall” 9:23 Moses stretched out his staff. 10:12 "Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts will swarm over the land “ 10:13 Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt; 14:16 “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea”. 17:9 Moses said, "Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." 17:11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. Moses and his Staff had History

1 The Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, travelling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarrelled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?“ saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" 3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us die of thirst?" 4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me." 5 The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17) Problem: no water (at “Sin”), why is this happening, loss of faith Response: Cry to the LORD, ask for & followed guidance: The LORD is before him, Take elders & staff & strike the rock

1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. 2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarrelled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD's community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!" 6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell face down, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. Numbers 20: Learning from the Bible Problem: no water (at “Sin”), why is this happening, loss of faith Response: Cry to the LORD, ask for & followed guidance: The LORD is before him, Take elders & staff & strike the rock

7 The LORD said to Moses, 8 "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so that they and their livestock can drink." 9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." 13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarrelled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them. Thank God for his written Word to us

Trusting God with your problems Know your Bible+Testimony“take staff” Meet with Christians“Call the assembly” Speak to God “Speak to the Rock” God’s character may be the same yesterday, today and forever, but the way he acts is varied. Our relationship with God is more important than the sorting out of a problem

Trusting God with your problems Know your Bible+Testimony“take staff” Meet with Christians“Call the assembly” Speak to God “Speak to the Rock” Thank God for our past: Ps23, Light of the World, Open Prayer

Trusting God with our problems Know your Bible+Testimony“take staff” Meet with Christians“Call the assembly” Speak to God “Speak to the Rock” Thanksgiving: Grace received – Mercy received Trust: Grace to give – Mercy to give

Heavenly father, we ask that out of your glorious riches you may strengthen xxxxx with power through your Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. And we ask that they, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all your holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that they may be filled to the measure of all your fullness”. Amen Heavenly Father, we remember xxxxx before you Please give xxx the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that they may know you better. Please may the eyes of their heart be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which you have called them, the riches of your glorious inheritance in the saints, and your incomparably great power for them and all those who believe. Amen Trust God with our problems: Speak to the Rock