THIS IS MY GOD

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Don't Miss This Study"

Episode Title: THIS IS MY GOD
Hosts: Emily (Grace) Freeman & David Butler
Date: April 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Emily Freeman and David Butler dive deep into Exodus 14–18, highlighting the epic stories of the Israelites' escape from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and their early journey through the wilderness. The central theme revolves around the Israelites discovering and defining who God is for them—“This is my God”—through repeated cycles of crisis, rescue, and revelation.

The hosts unpack the idea that the wilderness journey is symbolic of our lives, with its constant alternation between desperate need and divine provision. Through each story, they show how God continually shows up, adapts to needs, and becomes ever more personal to His people.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Red Sea: Standing Still & Seeing Salvation

• Oldest Text in the Old Testament:
  Exodus 15 is believed to be the oldest scriptural text, composed as a song (by Miriam), richly connecting Israel's foundational identity to God's deliverance.
  [03:40–04:05]
• Theme of "This is my God":
  The phrase “He is my God” in Exodus 15:2 inspires the episode’s title, prompting reflection on who God becomes for us through our lived experiences.
  [04:04–06:27]
• "Stand still and see..."
  When faced with overwhelming odds at the Red Sea, Moses counsels:

  "Fear ye not. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today." – Dave Butler [12:56] The hosts discuss the importance of stopping, noticing, and trusting God in moments when fear and chaos threaten to overwhelm.
  [12:56–13:53]

• Miracle Methods:
  Sometimes God’s deliverance is dramatic (splitting the sea), but sometimes it’s a slow process (“a strong east wind all that night…” Exodus 14:21).

  “I also believe in a God who all through the night will be moving and working.” – Dave Butler [14:26–16:05] The insight: Miracles may come quietly, over time.

2. The Rhythm of Best and Worst Days

• Immediately after miraculous deliverance and praise (singing, timbrels), hardship returns: three days in the wilderness without water—then the water found is bitter (Marah).

  “Who is God on my best day, and who is God on my worst day?” – Grace Freeman [21:21]

• Bitterness to Sweetness:
  The Lord heals the bitter waters—and, symbolically, our hearts:

  “The only thing that can save a bitter heart is healing…On all the worst days of my life, what I want to remember is…we believe in a God that can heal whatever damage our bad days have done.” – Grace Freeman [25:24–26:16]

3. God’s Daily Provision: Manna from Heaven

• In hunger, God provides daily bread (manna)—not all at once, but “every morning for forty years.”

  “There are going to be some days where you need two loaves of it, and some days less and some days more. And God is going to consistently carry you through that.” – Dave Butler [29:51]

• “What is it?” (Manna):
  The Israelites name their miracle “manna,” literally “What is it?”—a reminder that God’s answers may appear unfamiliar or unexpected at first.

  “Sometimes something is an answer and our initial response might be, ‘What is that?’ and it ends up being the thing that sustains us.” – Dave Butler [31:45]

• Living in the Present:
  Don’t put off God’s gifts—accept and use what He gives you today.

  “I wonder if He’s like, ‘Wait, don’t wait. Just let me bless you right now. Accept my gift…’” – Grace Freeman [32:14–33:03]

4. Recurring Problems: No Water, Again

• Again without water, the people panic and question if God is still present:

  “Is the Lord among us or not?” – Grace Freeman [36:45]

• God’s Presence, Even Before the Solution:
  The rock (source of water) was “there all along”—even before the miracle was apparent, God’s provision was already prepared.

  “Even though the water wasn’t flowing yet, the Lord still was among them and ready to help.” – Dave Butler [38:17]

5. Weary Hands Held Up: The Value of Helpers

• In battle, Moses tires—Aaron and Hur support his hands, ensuring victory.

  “When your greatest fear is, ‘I can’t carry this,’ the Lord will hold you up. And most likely…that’s going to happen through another person.” – Dave Butler [41:50]

• The Power of Remembering:
  Moses is instructed to write down the story, to teach Joshua and the next generation that the Lord always shows up.

  “The Lord was with me through it all. And He will be for you.” – Grace Freeman [43:30]

6. Names and Identity: A Lasting Testimony

• Moses names an altar "Jehovah Nissi"—the Lord is my banner, the one carried into every battle as encouragement and identity.

  “In our battles, the encourager was the Lord. We carried Him into every single one of those battles.” – Dave Butler [45:05]

• Moses’ sons’ names, “a foreigner there” and “the Lord is my helper,” combine to illustrate a universal story:

  “In the wilderness, I was a foreigner there. That was new territory for me. But the Lord was my helper. And how fantastic to remember that that is all of our stories too…” – Dave Butler [45:41]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Adaptability:

  “That phrase, ‘He is my God,’ means that the Lord is a man of whatever you need Him to be… Sometimes I need the Lord to be a man of math tests. Sometimes I need the Lord to be a man of the dishwasher… He will be the man you need Him to be.”
  – Grace Freeman [06:27]

• On Fear and Faith:

  “We have something that scares us, is too big for us, and God gets us through it. And then another comes, and we make it through, and another comes. That is what it looks like to be alive…”
  – Dave Butler [05:39]

• On the Importance of Slowing Down:

  “If you’re moving too fast, you might miss it. I need to find some time today to stand still because I want to see what the Lord is doing.”
  – Grace Freeman [13:26]

• Perspective on Hard Times:

  “I want to take a picture of my life on given days… A perfect name for that painting would be ‘Edge of a Miracle, Threshold of Wonder.’”
  – Dave Butler [18:35]

• Sharing Stories:

  “Maybe the reason Joshua was ready is because Moses had told him the stories…The Lord was with me through it all. And He will be for you.”
  – Grace Freeman [43:30]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Red Sea & Oldest Text, Song of Miriam: 03:40 – 04:05
• “This is My God” and Personal God Concept: 05:39 – 08:01
• "Stand Still" — Trust During Crisis: 12:56 – 13:53
• Miracle Methods: Dramatic vs. Over Time: 14:26 – 16:05
• Bitterness and Healing at Marah: 21:21 – 26:16
• Daily Manna and God’s Provisions: 29:51 – 33:03
• Living in the Present, Gift of Today: 32:14 – 33:03
• Is the Lord Among Us? (Question of Doubt): 36:45 – 38:17
• Aaron and Hur Hold Up Moses’ Hands: 41:50 – 43:30
• Remembering & Sharing God’s Faithfulness: 43:30 – 45:00
• Banner Names, Identity and Finale: 45:05 – 47:53

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Conclusion: The Takeaway

Through their engaging, conversational study, Emily and David illuminate a faith journey full of real, recurring struggles and a God who meets each one in uniquely personal ways. Listeners are encouraged to recount and record stories of divine help, remember God on both best and worst days, and trust that His presence and provision continue, even in unknown territory. Each story of the Israelites becomes an invitation to see and declare: “This is my God.”

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Further resources:

• Find study guides, posters, and more on their website and Instagram.
• Suggested scripture blocks: Exodus 14–18

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End of summary.

Transcript

[A]

Hi there. Welcome to Don't Miss this, a scripture study podcast with Dave Butler and Grace Freeman.

[B]

Each week we point out things in the scriptures that we love and think you don't want to miss.

[A]

Thanks for listening. Hi there, I'm Dave Butler.

[B]

I'm Grace Freeman.

[A]

Welcome to Don't Miss this y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

I am not going to say what I said.

[B]

I just loved when you just said y' all like that. Like it was really the rodeo.

[A]

Yeah, well, we're about to have a rodeo right now. I don't know why I said that. I want everyone to erase that from your memory and just be excited. So whatever excites you. Rodeos or picnics or whatever. Feel that. We are so happy you're here. We love the scriptures so much. We love studying this year the Old Testament. We moved through it a couple chapters at a time following the come follow me curriculum. Point out things we think you don't want to miss. And our goal and hope is that you love the scriptures. That this time together helps you helps encourage your faith and your hope helps you fall in love with the God of Israel more and more each week and then also helps you create houses of faith, scripture centered, Jesus centered houses. So we're so happy that you are here. Everything that we talk about, if you need it, all of our the posters and the journals and the tip ins, the things that will just help hopefully your scripture study come alive are all available either at Deseret book or@good newsbrandco.com you can get our newsletter at don't miss the study.com every single week. And that will include this, the. What do I call this? The timeline. Are you guys loving the timeline?

[B]

It's so cute.

[A]

I hope everybody is.

[B]

Every time you lift it up, I'm loving it. Yeah.

[A]

And you know what? Remember, if you're just not a put a piece on every week kind of person, you can print out the ones that are just finished. I don't have one I was about to show you but there's the smaller 11 by 17 ones and there is finished ones that just might be nice to print out and have. Just if you do a Sunday church thing or just hang it up during your study to write the timeline, even

[B]

print out small and put it in your scriptures. Let that be your bookmark.

[A]

Oh, that's cool. That would be so helpful. Yeah, that's really such a great idea. I'm so excited because when we get to next week we're gonna go across the whole top line. I won't do it today. But I just get excited about just a review. I don't know. Maybe I'm a nerd in that sense, but so. Oh, I. By the way. Hello. The picture I put on already. I'm not. I already put it on before we started accidentally. It's a picture of the Red Sea. That's the Red Sea opening up. That's the one we're doing today. That should get you excited because is that the most epic story in the entire book? Yes. And P.S. this story, the first one we start with at least, is the story of the children of Israel. It becomes their, like, identity story. The. The Passover and the Red Sea. They'll keep referring to it. It's all throughout the Book of Mormon too, remember, because they're descendants of that several hundred years later. But they keep looking back. The identity, the story that helps them describe who God is is this story of the Red Sea. It's just so epic and so big. But we also have so many other stories today. We want to start with this verse in Exodus chapter 15, which, by the way, I just found out for all Bible nerds out there who want to know. Exodus 15 is considered by Bible scholars to be the oldest. The oldest text that we have. So the Old Testament obviously is a collection of. Of writings over time. Right. But the way Exodus 15 is written, apparently it just. The structure of it leads Bible scholars to believe this is the oldest piece of written text that we have for the Old Testament. And it's a song who is in love with the fact that it is a Miriam singing a song is the oldest and first sort of perfect. Yeah. Isn't it great?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Just makes you think about a mom singing to her kids at night, telling them bedtime stories. That's what it feels like. 15 is like a mom telling a bedtime story. It's so great. This is after they will make it through the Red Sea, which we'll come back to in just a second. But we want to introduce the whole. This whole. This whole section of chapters today with this verse that in 15 they're singing. Look how it starts then, saying Moses and the children of Israel. This song to the Lord, verse two is so good. The Lord is my strength and my song. He is my salvation. We have a hymn that kind of sounds like that. And there's a verse in there in. In verse 2 where it says a phrase in there where he says, is my God. And I just. I want to. I want to capitalize, not capitalize. I want to title today's Lesson, this is my God. This is what he's like. And each experience that they have that will follow through several experiences that they have are all going to teach them something about who their God is. And I just love thinking at the end of their life. I mean, this was at the end of the Red Sea. At the end of the Red Sea, they sing this is our God. This is who he is. And chapter 15 describes him and just makes me think about somebody at the end of their life. Just. Just recounting the things that happened, remembering the things that happened, and. And saying, this is my God. This is. This is what he did for me on this day, and this is what he did for me on. On that day. And that's what I love about this collection of chapters this week is it's all these experiences from their life. And. And I think it's, like, safe to say that the wilderness is like, a great. It's a great analogy. It's a great showing of what it looks like just to journey through life with all the different kind of things that happen. Because in today's lesson, you know that you have this problem, and then they make it through. And then now a new problem comes and they make it through. And a new problem comes and they. And they make it through. And it's like, that is what it looks like to be alive, to be a person that we. We have something that is. Scares us, is too big for us, and God gets us through it. And then another comes, and then we make it through, and then another comes and it just is. That is what today's chapters kind of feel like to me.

[B]

Well, and what I love about verse number two is in all reality, the verse that comes after it. And right after that, it says, the Lord is a man of war. And I read it and I was like, oh, I don't want the Lord to be a man of war. I'm not really. Those are my business. I don't. I don't want to be drafted. I don't want to do war. I'm so scared that, like, I'm not having a good time imagining that being like, my life. I'm not kidding. That is actually, I'm not supposed to be a soldier. And so I read that and I was like, oh, no. And then I thought back to that verse right above it. He is my God. And I realized, oh, those people needed him to be a man of war because they were running for their lives. They needed the Lord. Yeah, they needed someone to show up and fight for them. And what I love is that that phrase, he is my God means that the Lord is a man of whatever you need him to be. And in my scriptures, I just like wrote underneath verse three, a man of. And then like a line to fill in the blank. Because I was thinking like, oh, sometimes I actually need the Lord to be a man of math tests. And sometimes I need the Lord to be a man of the dishwasher. And sometimes I need the Lord to be a man of cancer and figuring that out. And sometimes I need the Lord to be a man of doubt. And sometimes I need the Lord to be a man of fill in the blank. He is going to be expert at everything, which means he will be the man you need him to be. Whatever area of your life you're needing, whatever wilderness you're walking through, whatever problems show up, he will be the expert of that. He is the man that can save the day whatever the day brings.

[A]

Yeah, that is what these chapters, I think, really, really show us. And it just makes me think about that. Remember, every time we see Lord show up, capital L, O, R D, that is what the English translators put in to talk about the name of the Lord, which is Yahweh, or I am, that I am. Or remember one of the translations, I will be what tomorrow demands, whatever the problem is. And we, we get to see that today. So let's go back a chapter and start in Exodus 14. You remember, we've just had the Passover years and years of slavery, and then overnight they are set free and they, and they, and they leave and they go and they make it to the beach and we learn that the Lord is a man of the beach. And we're like, thank you for taking me to this.

[B]

And.

[A]

And they are there and no surprise, Pharaoh shows up. And the way it is written is, is. Is crazy. If you open up your journal to the page, the digging deeper for this page for April 13th through 19th or Exodus 14 through 18, you'll see a list of the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 stories that are in here. And each of them have some verses that will show you. This is like the fear that they were facing. And then, then there's an answer, a fill in the blank that the Lord will fill in the blank. And so we're going to go through each of these stories and, and talk about that. In this one, it's interesting because it says that. Where is that, that verse? Oh, verse seven where it says, and he took 600 chariots. This is Pharaoh and 600 chosen chariots. Excuse Me. And then it says, and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them. I don't know why they mentioned the 600 first, because then he just brings all of them. And it makes me think. In my journal, I wrote two different things for what their fear is. And one of them was, everything is against me. Egypt brought all of their strength against Israel. They started with 600. And then Pharaoh's like, no, all of it. And there are times when people will feel like, honestly, the whole world is against me. And that is the situation that they find themselves in there on the beach, and there is sand to the left and sand to the right and an ocean in. In front of them. And they actually say in verse 12, you're going to find that this is a pattern throughout all of these chapters. It would have been better for us to just serve the Egyptians than for us to die out here. And I think in these, in these chapters, you get a great snapshot of just humanity, what it looks like to be a person. Meaning I don't think we have changed that much in the last 4,000 years, right? Where when a problem comes, we kind of go to worst case scenario, right? We look to the future. We fear what is going to happen, and we panic and we go to worst case scenario. And they're like, it just would have been better for us to stay in Egypt than to be in this circumstance. And you kind of want to go back in time. Like, no, it's actually not better for you to be in Egypt. It's good for you to move forward and be free and experience the things that you're about to. But fear sometimes hold us back. And we want to go back to our. Where we were comfortable and the place where we know. And I just love that there's almost like a repeated encouragement in these. Where we see that fear. And we almost can hear the Lord's whisper say, no, move forward, go forward. Go into something different. You're going to see a verse like that in a second. Thirteen is this classic verse in Exodus, chapter 14, and Moses says to the people, fear ye not. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. And I love that it's actually our word of the week. And so if you do a lesson based off the poster each week, it's a double word, y'. All. It's a two for one. It's to stand still, to just. That's a. That's a trusting word. It is. They're. They're worried about all of the things. And this was Moses's advice to them. Still your fears. Just stand still and watch what the Lord is going to do for you today. Asks, don't you just. Don't you just want and picture in your mind like I'm. Well, I do. Like just the morning sending off my kids to school and wanting to stay to them whatever they're worried about that day. Like, oh my gosh, I've got this today, dad, I've got this, I've got this, I've got this. And this just feels like my line to them. Stand still. And then I love this part even better. And see what the Lord will show to you today. Just wait and see how he is going to handle whatever it is that you are facing this. I love thinking about starting each morning with this promise and encouragement to myself and to my kids. So that word to be still is translated in Hebrew. You'll see this on the posters. To stay, to continue, to remain, to be steadfast. It's a way of saying, don't give up on God, don't give up on yourself. Stand still and watch what the Lord is going to do for you today.

[B]

And I just love to think about in my head, I'm like, why did he need them to stand still? And I think it's so sweet to think if you're moving too fast, you might miss it. And if you're going too quick, like, you're gonna miss what God's doing. And when I read that this week, I like thought about my day yesterday. And I teach early morning seminary and I Woke up at 5:10am and I had left my house by 5:20. And I didn't get home to my house until like 11:30. And it was just like a go, go, go, go, go day. And when I read that, I was like, oh, I'm not really standing still in my life ever. And then I realized, oh, I need to figure that out because I don't want to be going so fast and being so busy, going like 100 miles an hour because what if I miss it because that's the reason and see the salvation of the Lord which he will show unto you today and every single morning. I just want to think like, oh, I need to find some time today to stand still because I want to see what the Lord is doing.

[A]

And I think this is also a great invitation, I guess is the right word to say to. Because fears can be so deafening, they can be so loud, and we can become obsessed with everything that could go wrong. And our eyes are on our fears. And this was an invitation to see the salvation of the Lord. Put your eyes on him. Stop looking at the problem and put your eyes on him and watch what he. Watch what he is going to do. And the promise in the next verse, 14, this is one of the greatest verses of all scripture. The Lord shall fight for you. And that's actually what I put inside the fill in the blank right here, that the Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. And this is what I love. We know the end of the story. That is true. That happens. But 11:15, the Lord says to Moses, why. Why are you still praying? Go forward. And I. And I love that the Lord is teaching. Listen, there are times to pray good. And then there are times to pray quick and move forward. Go take your next step and hold your rod up over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel are going to pass through on dry ground. And. And this is awesome. And I don't want to ruin this miracle for everybody, because in the Prince of Egypt, when he throws that. That rod down into the ocean and it just opens up like a storybook, that's just epic. And maybe that is exactly what happened. But there is this line in verse 21, and it says, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry. Land and the waters were divided. And sometimes I read that verse and I wonder, oh, I'm not going to tell anybody that it didn't happen the way it happened in the movie, because it's just too good. But maybe it happened by a wind blowing all through the night. The dividing of that water and the drying of the ground was just a steady wind for a long period of time. And I feel like I do believe in a God of the dramatic who does open oceans like that, and problems are fixed so instantly. But I also believe in a God who all through the night will be moving and working. And just the consistency of his presence is the way he fights for you. I love that wind and feet. Wind. Excuse me, and spirit and breath. Those are all the same word in Hebrew. And you think about that, just that consistent spiritual presence, that that is the way that the Lord fights, and that is the way that he opens up the way and dries the ground. And I say it that way, by the way, y', all, because 21, I think, is so great, because he made the dry land and the waters were divided. And you see it again in 22. It keeps bringing up the fact that not only did the ocean open, but the ground was dry. And I have in my margins a God of double miracles. That he doesn't do things halfway, that he. That he opens the way and dries the ground for them. And I just think there's. There's something about that that's so great. And then. Let me just say one more verse and then we'll go to the next story. But verse 30, I. I just love it. This is. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day. And. And when you read it in the nlt, remember that's my new favorite translation. It says it like this. That's how the Lord rescued Israel that day. And I just. I mean, it's not too much different, but I just love it sounds like the end of such a great story like that. Almost like again, that you're telling your kids. And that's how God helped me that day. And that's how God rescued me after that long season or whatever it is. And it just. It's so great. And to be on. And to be on that side of it is great to look back and to remember, because that's going to give them the faith to trust him in the next problem. Right. Like the looking back, but. Because something I love about the Red Sea story is if you were to take a picture of the children of Israel standing on the beach with Egypt behind them and the water in front of them, or if somebody did a painting of that, you could label that painting Trapped or Everyone against me, or forgotten or abandoned, or a perfect name for that painting would be Edge of a Miracle, like Threshold of Wonder. Like they're in this moment that feels abandoned and trapped, but actually that is a moment where they're right on the edge of a miracle. And I. I want to take a picture of my life on given days. And I wanted. I want to. I'm sure I'll be tempted to call it some of those other things, Trapped or Forgotten, and remind myself that, no, that picture, David, you just took of your life today, that screenshot of your story could be called Edge of a Miracle. So stand still and keep moving forward and watch for the salvation of God. Because what we know about him, when I answer, this is my God, at the end of it, you're going to say, this is. This is a God who fights for you.

[B]

And I think it's so sweet that verse 30 just says that day, because it does seem like a promise that it's not the end of the Lord showing up in the story. That was just one day. Like, it was like, oh, yeah, that's how the Lord showed up that day. But just wait until tomorrow.

[A]

Yeah. So you have that day in 30. And then what was the other one that I think people could mark that goes with it? Oh, in 13. Which he will show to you today.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because tomorrow morning we can wake up at breakfast and say the same thing to kids, like, watch. Watch what the Lord's going to do today also.

[B]

And then chapter 15 starts. And we talked about at the very beginning that the chapter starts out with singing praises and being so happy and thankful and a song of gratitude, shouting praises for the Lord.

[A]

Like shaking the timbrel.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I don't even know what a timbrel is either, but I would think that I want in a man.

[B]

I don't think that's what it's called.

[A]

This thing with the. With the. With the little timbrel. I'm sure that's what it is. It. Do you know what I'm talking about?

[B]

I know exactly what you're.

[A]

With the silver T. And it's doing that. I am pretty sure that's a Tim. It says timbrel in it. In my mind, it will be that. And I don't want to know.

[B]

Otherwise, I'm liking it, and I like that idea. The point is, they are shaking. That is, they are shaking that. And they are having the time of their life. They are singing praises, they are shouting God's name. They can't even, like, contain themselves. And then before the chapter even ends, everything falls apart again. And as I was reading this, I just thought, in my family, we talk a lot about best days and worst days and how in life they kind of seem to go together, and you might have a best day, and then immediately after, you might have a worst day. And I just think it's important to, like. I just think this chapter is interesting to me. It became one of my favorites of this section because it just made me think about who is God on my best day and who is God on my worst day. And I think there's a really good lesson in that. And if you are experiencing a best day, I don't think that you should be afraid of a worst day. But if you are experiencing a worst day, I think that you should remember that the best days on the way, they come in pairs. You'll see it and you'll feel it. And that's chapter 16 to me. And what happens is they're shouting praises, and then they get to the wilderness. And they're going for three days in the wilderness. They're marching, marching, marching. I'm just assuming they're marching. I don't know if they were doing a walk or if you skip or march, but it just felt right. And they just couldn't find water. And then finally, in verse 23, they get there and they find water, and it's bitter. And they taste it. It's disgusting. All of them are afraid they're going to be sick and have tummy aches, and they're horrified about everything that's going to happen. And they said, why did you even tell us to drink? Like, what are we going to drink? Like, why did you even bring us here? We don't. We're going to die. We have nothing to drink. And is talking about the water being bitter, but I can't help but think that sometimes a worse day makes us bitter, too. And we're experiencing that. And I'm sure all those people were like, we just got saved by the Red. Like, the Red Sea parted. Like, we just got saved. We're experiencing the wilderness. And now it's only been three days. Moses, you couldn't help us for more than three days. Like, yeah, you got us out of slavery. But, like, now what are we gonna do? Die of thirst? Like, we can't drink this water. It's disgusting. Fasting like, this was supposed to be good, and it's just simply not. And it's really easy after a best day to let your worst day turn you bitter. And I'm sure they thought that about the water. But how quickly was a heart turning bitter as they experienced their worst day? And what happens is, first Moses heals the water, and he's gonna tell them, well, the Lord heals the water. And in verse 25, he cries into the Lord. And Lord's like, okay, look, here's gonna be a tree, and the waters are gonna be made sweet, and you're gonna be fine. And just so you know, I'm gonna take care of that problem. But for me, in my life, I'm not so worried about drinking bitter water, but I am worried about the state of my heart on worst days and the bitterness that floods in. And it seems as though verse 26 is speaking directly to that. And he says, listen, if you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord, and you will do what is right in his sight, and you will listen to him, and you will keep doing all the things that he wants you to do, I will put none of These diseases upon you which I brought unto the Egyptians, which I think is really interesting, just as a side note, because I think you all of a sudden start getting a look into Israel's eyes, that they were saved from all the plagues. But that doesn't mean that they didn't realize what God was capable of in that moment. And I wonder if all of a sudden in this moment they started thinking, oh, no, like, what's gonna happen to me? And that was chaos for the Egyptians. And now who is God gonna be? Because, yeah, like, I was having, like a little temper transfer, temper tantrum about the water, but now, like, is he gonna send the fleas and the lice and the frogs and all of these terrible things? Because that's the God that we know. And then he says this line, for I am the Lord that heals you. And what I love about chapter 15 is that the only thing that can save a bitter heart is healing. And usually a bitter heart comes because something tragic happens or someone does you wrong, or there's a misunderstanding, or there's hurt feelings or something terrible happened. That is what turns a heart bitter. And sometimes in that moment, we think what we need is revenge, or we think what we need is to prove our point. What we need is to prove ourselves. And what we really need is to be healed. We need a heart that can receive healing. And chapter 15 to me, is evidence that no matter how bitter we become, the Lord can heal our hearts. And bitter is a miserable feeling. No one wants to live that way forever. And how beautiful that we believe in a God that can heal that. And I just think that on all the worst days of my life, on all the terrible things that happened and all the bad news moments, what I want to remember is verse 26, that we believe in a God that can heal whatever damage our bad days have done.

[A]

Yeah, And I love that phrase in verse 25, that they were made sweet. Such a good line, right? That just whatever might be bitter, there's a promise here that it can be made sweet again and. And again. I just want you to all the. All of us to notice this, that the problem in the first one was an army and an ocean. The problem this next one is bitterness in the water. And that's just the way life is. Just we get through one and we celebrate and we shake the timbrel. Whatever it is, y'. All. And then. And then something else comes again. But what this is showing us is that God is going to keep showing up and he's going to handle the situations differently each time perhaps, but that he does. And I think that's so awesome. And just I love that line that he will make it sweet. Oh, and look at 27 too, before we go on to the next one, because then I love that they go to the next place. And there's 12 wells of water and three score and 10 palm trees. There is shade, and there are plenty of wells that are there. And that is just a great reminder too, of what the Lord will do. He'll lead us to those places. Also, chapter 16 is so famous. It's going to happen again in the Book of Numbers. But it's the people out as they wander again. And now their problem is they're hungry, they have no food, and they start to complain. And I actually really like this verse in 7 and 8 when it says, in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord. Oh, that's such a good line, by the way. Who loves that when somebody's going to bed, like, just feeling like, oh, man. Whatever the problem may be, the promise of verse seven is, in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord. That's so sweet. And then it says this. For he heareth your murmurings, and he says it again in verse 8 that he heareth your murmurings or your complaints. And I marked that. And I love that God hears our complaints. He sees the problem. He doesn't dismiss the fact that there is something hard or there is a problem here.

[B]

And it's sweet to me because I always imagine, like, usually a complain for me or a murmur. I'm not really saying it in, like, my outside voice. Like, usually I'm doing that, like, under my breath. Because, like, I know that, like, it's not nice to complain.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And what I love is that the Lord has good enough ears to hear you even when you're talking under your breath.

[A]

Oh, that's sweet.

[B]

Sweet.

[A]

That's so sweet. So I love that he hears it. I put in on the little worksheet. Their fear is that they just don't have enough. Remember, they're without food. And there might be some listening that are experiencing that very specific heartache of, I don't have enough food. But if that's not you, there's still a fill in the blank where I don't have enough. What? You know, I don't have enough hope, I don't have enough faith. I just. We've run out. I'm not. There's something that is lacking. Hunger is a lack. And the Lord solves this Problem, you may know, by raining down bread from heaven. And let me just note it right now, and we'll probably come back to it. He does it every single morning for 40 years straight. Just enough, in fact. Will you just peek ahead at verse 17? Because he says to him in 16, Go and gather. You know, every day you're going to go and gather this stuff, manna that has fallen from the heavens. And verse 17 says, and they did so and gathered some more and some less. And I just love that idea of, like, there are going to be some days where you need two loaves of it, and some days less and some days more. And God is going to consistently carry you through that. I. I wrote that the Lord will feed you is what I put in the little blank there. But I want to add on to that every single day with whatever it is that you need for that day. Verse 21 says, and they gathered it every morning, every man, according to his eating. And I just couldn't help but think about. I don't know why I wrote down here in my journal like a mom. When I, you know, when I was in high school going to early morning seminary, my mom woke up every single morning and she made us breakfast. And don't feel bad if you didn't do that for your kids, y'. All. That's just the way one of my.

[B]

I made my. I made my own breakfast. Okay, fine.

[A]

But I just love that he's just like, I'm. I'm going to give you this blessing at the beginning of the morning. I'm going to send you out the door with my love. And I think there's just something really tender about the way he answered the problem that they had. And I want to say one other thing about it, because that word manna is so fun to learn. In verse 15, it says, when the children of Israel saw it, they said, one to another, it is manna. But the translation of manna, man, is a Hebrew word that means, what is it? So they looked at it and they said, mana, which means, what is it? And then that's the name it got forever. I don't know why I felt like I said it, said it like that, but it's a good pronunciation.

[B]

Thank you. I needed that. I needed that full vision.

[A]

But I love that it keeps that name of what is it? That the answer to the prayer has the name, what is it? They didn't recognize it initially as an answer to prayer, and it was their. Their greatest blessing. And I just, I love that unexpectedness of The Lord's answers. Sometimes something as an answer. And our initial thing, our initial response might be, what is that? And it ends up being the thing that sustains us.

[B]

And I think it's cute. Let me just say one thing about the manna. Because the verse that I'm so fascinated by right now is verse 19. And Moses said, let no man leave it of it till the morning. And he's like, don't wait until tomorrow. And it's so interesting to me because I want to be like, well, more's coming the next day anyways. Like, it's like. They're like, no. Like. And I just was thinking in my head, like, I was like, oh, I think there's probably so often times that the Lord's trying to bless me. And I'm like, no, I'm good. Like, I'll be all right. Like, I'm okay today. Like, I can. Like, I can. I can manage and I can push through and I'm gonna be okay. And I wonder if he's like, wait, don't wait. Just let me bless you right now. Accept my gift. Live in it. Have it. It's going to make your life better. Why are you waiting to make your life better? And I just think that's so cute. It was there every single day. And he didn't want you to wait to experience his gift. Goodness.

[A]

Yeah. And there's something about that. And I'm going through, and I'm marking it right now just where those phrases, like, every morning reminds me of that line from the Psalms that my mercies are new every morning that you can expect. Like that verse we read. Where was that one? That in the morning, the glory of the. Where was. Oh, seven in the morning. You shall see the glory of the Lord. There will be a tender mercy. There will be his presence waiting for you tomorrow.

[B]

And it was a promise they needed. Because it really does feel like every tomorrow a new tragedy was happening. Because look at what's happened so far in every single chapter. Every page you turn, something new comes up. It just is how this is going to go.

[A]

And then you go, it's just a perfect journal. Anybody's journal.

[B]

Yes, exactly.

[A]

You can actually pick up this book, the Scriptures, or anybody's journal off their shelves, and you would turn the page and you're like, oh. And then why is that happening? And there's this problem.

[B]

And he's like, oh, well, because mortality and they were living in the same thing. So that's just the thing about mortality, because then they just keep going in the wilderness. And all of a sudden, once again, there was no water for the people to drink. And they were so thirsty to the point that by verse number three, they look and they say about Moses, they're like, listen, this is the guy that brought us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our cows because we're, like, so thirsty that we're gonna, like, thirst to death. Like, that is it like we. This is like, he's the guy that wants to murder us. That's why he probably out. That's why he probably brought us out of Egypt. They were desperate. They were desperate. And that is just simply true. And I think that there's so often days that you might feel the same way. I think, like, when you're thirsty, that's such, like, a funny thing, because I think it consumes your thoughts. Like, you're like, oh, my gosh, I'm so thirsty. I'm not gonna make it anymore. And it's like, you like, yeah, you had water 15 minutes ago. And it's like, no, you don't understand. Like, the only thought that's going through your mind is what you need and what you need and what you need because you don't think you're gonna survive without it. And all of these people are like, listen, the only thing they could think of was what they were desperate for. They said, I need this. I cannot go on without this. And Moses's prayer is so tender. And it's just like the heart of the boy who just tried his very best. And he goes to the Lord and he says, what should I do for these people? They are about to stone me. They hate me. And all I have ever tried to do is help. And it's just not working. Because every single chapter, something bad happens. And that to me also, I've never been a parent, but maybe I've been an evil daughter. And, like, I am sure my mom has had that prayer that is like, I've just tried to help them over and over and over. And yet when I did Grace's hair this morning, and there was two bumps in her sleek back bun, she told me she hated me. And what am I gonna do with her now? Because I am just trying so hard to be a good mom. And what I think is so tender is that the Lord is just gonna take care of the problem, because he always. That's been true for every single chapter that we have studied so far. And he's like, listen, there's gonna be the rock. You're gonna smite It. There's gonna be water out of it. It's gonna be unconventional, and it's not gonna be like any water you've ever had. It's gonna be great. It's gonna work for you. We're gonna fix their need. They're gonna be fine. They will be taken care of. But then verse seven happens, and Moses goes, and he calls the place massa and David.

[A]

Can I read my Hebrew pronunciation?

[B]

David will do his moment later. That's fine. And then this is the reason why it says, because they tempted the Lord, saying, is the Lord among us or not? And that to me is the murmur and the question that I so often say. And yeah, I am living thousands and thousands and thousands of years after these people, but mortality is still the same. And it leaves us still desperate, still doubting, and still asking the same questions. Is the Lord among us or not? Is he even here? And what I love about the Lord is that he will give you evidence that he is. He will show up and he will prove to you that no matter how brutal mortality is, he will not stop showing up. He showed up in chapter 14. He showed up in chapter 15. He showed up in chapter 16. He shows up twice in chapter 17. Just so you know. That's a spoiler. But what I love to know is that in our moments of desperation, in our quiet prayers of, please, there's nothing else I can do. And I'm trying over and over and over again, and nothing's good enough. And when we ask, is the Lord even here or not? He will look back and say, oh, yes, I'm here. And I will save the day again and again and again, just like I did yesterday and the day before that. And just like I will do tomorrow, that's who I am. I will be with you.

[A]

Yeah, that's the phrase I wrote in my journal, that the Lord will be with you. And that's. Remember, that's if you were to say the most repeated promise to covenant Israel. It was, that is that I will be with you. And I think it's interesting in that chapter that the rock that the water comes from was there all along. The answer was already sitting there waiting for them, that even though the water wasn't flowing yet, the Lord still was among them and ready to help. And that miracle was coming. And I hope that, as you know, I look back on my life and count the miracles and tell the stories of, that's how the Lord saved me that day. And that's how he saved me that day. That that can Give me the trust that the answer to that question is the Lord among us or no? Yes, he is. Even if the water is not flowing yet, it will flow in these places that it normally doesn't. The Lord is among us. Stand still and see his salvation in whatever it may be. And the last story we want to talk about is again, is what happens in the end of 17. There is a battle. Somebody comes and they fight against Israel. And I think this is interesting because it's the, it's kind of a repeat, but a new group of people. And sometimes in our lives we feel like we've overcome a problem or this one thing happened. And we think, oh, I hope. I'm so glad that's over. I never have to do that again. And it happens again and again. We get to a spot where they're just like, you know, here the whole army is against us again. And what's interesting in this one is Moses does the same thing. He lifts up his, his rod. He did that at the Red Sea. And he does this again. But it says in the story, he's up on the hill, and if he's lifting up that rock, that rod, then they win the battle. They get the strength. But if he lowers his hands down, then they start to lose. In verse 12 is so interesting that so many people may relate. And Moses hands were heavy. And I just think about him having gone through everything that we've talked about today, and to think he's just like, I, I don't think, you know, we're back again in this same kind of problem. And he's just like, I can't carry this anymore. I'm too, I'm too tired for this. I, I just, I, I, I can't. And I just. It's so sweet that these two boys, Aaron, his brother and a friend, come up there and they find him a seat and they hold up his hands, one on one side and one on the other. And in my mind, the answer to the prayer in this one is those two friends. And they come up there and they hold up his hands in that time when his greatest fear is, I don't think I can do this one. Like, I am too tired to do this one. The burden is too much. Like, I, oh, I'm so beaten down from the rock and the quail and the, all the things, you know, that sometimes we get to a spot where we're just like, oh, things have piled up. You know, they just, they've gotten a little bit too much for me. And I don't think I'm going to win this one. And the Lord will send us Aaron's, and he'll send us hers to hold up our hands on either side of us. And this is such a sweet line in verse 12. Until the going down of the sun, and until it's over, he will send. And often his answers come through those people that he puts into our lives to hold us up. And that is such a sweet thing that when your greatest fear is, I can't carry this, the Lord will hold you up. And most likely, I think that's going to happen through another person.

[B]

I was driving on Saturday, and I was just so tired, and it just felt like I was on chapter 17 out of 14, and it was just one thing after the next. And I was just driving, and I was on a stoplight, and I just started crying. And I'm like, just, like, said out loud my prayer, and I was like, God, can you just make my life easy? Like, I would love. I would love to have an easy life. And in my head, I was like, some people have easy lives. Like, I. I know that they do. And they just get to, like, have breakfast for five hours in the morning, and then just, like, get to get their toes done at the spa, and they just get to have great life.

[A]

Who is this great. Stop watching Instagram. It's not true.

[B]

And I was like, why is that not to be my life? And I was like, I just want it to be easy so bad. And I was so sad. I legit. It was just ruining my day. I was literally so, so sad. And I got home and I looked at my nightstand and I saw my journals. And so clearly the spirit said, grace, go read your journal. And I, like, sat there on my floor for 15 minutes. And this time I just honestly cried harder. I'm just kind of a crier. And I just cried harder and harder because I remembered that my life might not be easy, but it's really, really good. And objectively, honestly, it's pretty easy, too. And I just sat there and I thought, oh, my goodness, the Lord is with me. And he has been day after day after day after day. And what happens in chapter 17 is there's this moment when the Lord looks at Moses and he says, you need to write this down in a book, and you need to tell this story to Joshua. And what happens next is we know Joshua has some pretty big shoes to fill. We're gonna get there. We're not quite there yet, but Joshua's gonna have some pretty big shoes to Fill. And he's gonna look to Moses, and after Moses is gone, it's gonna be Joshua. Is that true? I think that is true. I just started glitching for a second and got worried. And what I love is that maybe the reason Joshua was ready is because Moses had told him the stories and said, don't worry, Joshua. I will remind you time and time again that the Lord was with me in chapter 14 and in chapter 15, in chapter 17 and 16, the Lord was with me through it all. And he will be for you. Because Quite frankly, Chapter 17 of Exodus isn't the last bad day that we're gonna read about in the Bible. But it's also not the last time that we'll read about the Lord showing up.

[A]

It's awesome. And I like that he n. He names that place two names. I want to show 15. He builds this altar and calls the name of it Jehovah nisi, which means the Lord is my banner, right? And you take a banner with you into battle is what you do, right? It's sort of your. It's the encourager, you know, in a battle. And I just love that he's like, in. In our battles, the encourager was the Lord. We carried him into every single one of those battles. And can I just point out one other name thing? Because chapter 18 comes in.

[B]

It's.

[A]

And it's exactly what Grace was just saying that Jethro Moses, father in law, he's like, I heard about all of those things. And that means someone told him that story. And I think that's so, so awesome. But the two sons of Moses, one was named Gershon and the other Eleazar. And I thought this was cool that their. What their names meant. Gershon means a foreigner there. And verse four means the Lord is my helper. And at the end, as they look back, that's what they. That's what he names his two sons. And almost as like a description of his story where he's saying, like, in the wilderness. I was a foreigner there. That was new territory for me. But the Lord was my helper. And how fantastic to remember that that is all of our stories too, both of those that here in mortality, we're foreigners here. This is a new experience for us. And new parents that you're a foreigner there. And new jobs. You're a foreigner there. And newly divorced. You're a foreigner there. And a new sickness to battle. You're a foreigner there. In a new stage of life. You are a foreigner there. But also the Lord is your helper in that spot. And whatever the problem may be, an ocean or bitter waters or not enough or an or everyone's against you. The Lord is there with you in that he will be your helper, your banner, your strength. What did 15 say my in that verse 2 your strength and your song and your salvation. And you'll have a timbrel to shake at the end of this story. And you'll and you'll have something to say. You'll say, the Lord, this is my God and and he was there to help me. And what what a what a sweet ending to the story. It will be so such good stuff. And we're excited for next week and we'll see you then. If you want to follow along in everything we're doing, you can find us on Instagram at Don't miss this study, at this week's Grace and at MrDave Butler.

[B]

And if you want to subscribe to the app or get a our weekly newsletter, all of the information can be found at don'tmissthisudy. Com.

[A]

See you next week.