How a Bitter Life is Made Sweet

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they [were] bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, [which] when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I [am] the LORD that healeth thee. Exodus 15:23-26 KJV

What was the significance of Moses putting a tree in the water? How did a tree make the water sweet? In 1 Peter 2:24, Peter refers to the cross as a tree.

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

Photo by Maurice Ashton

In a world of hate and bitterness, Jesus died on a tree to save us from a bitter world. Sin has caused suffering and bitterness, but Jesus was lifted up on the cross to make our lives sweet again. This is a story that looks simple in itself, but like many stories of the Exodus, it points us to the cross and the salvation we have in Jesus.

If life has made you bitter, Jesus is offering living water that can make your life sweet again.

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 14:13-14 NKJV

I would like to invite you to find the sweet life through fellowship with Jesus and other believers, by finding a Christ-centered Bible-based church in your area. You can find one here.

Print/PDF/Email

(6)

What Jesus accomplished on the cross for all of mankind has the ability to sweeten the bitterest of life experiences.

Even in the darkest clouds there is a silver lining, so too even in the darkest times in life we can see the silver lining if we are looking for it.

I recently (7/24/25) had a terrible bicycle accident, which literally could have killed or crippled me. As bad as it was, it definitely could have been worse. The last thing I remember was the curb right in front of me. I guess that I went into and over the handlebars landing on the top right front, and side of my head on the curb, knocking me unconscious. Then the left side of my helmet and jaw impacted the street, fracturing my left jaw. I must have instinctively put out my hands, which resulted in fracturing the left wrist, and scrapes, contusions, bruises, and road rash to both hands. (Initially the ER doctor said that I had broken both of my wrists.)

When I briefly came to, in the ambulance enroute to the hospital, the EMT told me that my helmet probably saved my life. It was scuffed up and partially caved in. The top where initial impact was made was split.

Today was my follow-up visit to the orthopedic doctor. They took x-rays to see how the wrist was healing. The doctor said that my healing is so advanced that he said that I no longer require a wrist brace, only two and a half weeks since the accident. When I looked at the x-rays I marveled at one of the views which showed the fracture healed in the shape of a "J". I immediately thought how amazing it was that my Great Physician Jesus, initialed my x-ray and my healing. Hallelujah!

He has, and is turning what could have been a very bitter experience, into something sweet. What an awesome God we have.

There's more to the story that I will share in a future blog post.

(6)

Reply ↓

Comments

How a Bitter Life is Made Sweet — 6 Comments

Tim Heischberg on August 12, 2025 at 4:20 pm said:

What Jesus accomplished on the cross for all of mankind has the ability to sweeten the bitterest of life experiences.

Even in the darkest clouds there is a silver lining, so too even in the darkest times in life we can see the silver lining if we are looking for it.

I recently (7/24/25) had a terrible bicycle accident, which literally could have killed or crippled me. As bad as it was, it definitely could have been worse. The last thing I remember was the curb right in front of me. I guess that I went into and over the handlebars landing on the top right front, and side of my head on the curb, knocking me unconscious. Then the left side of my helmet and jaw impacted the street, fracturing my left jaw. I must have instinctively put out my hands, which resulted in fracturing the left wrist, and scrapes, contusions, bruises, and road rash to both hands. (Initially the ER doctor said that I had broken both of my wrists.)

When I briefly came to, in the ambulance enroute to the hospital, the EMT told me that my helmet probably saved my life. It was scuffed up and partially caved in. The top where initial impact was made was split.

Today was my follow-up visit to the orthopedic doctor. They took x-rays to see how the wrist was healing. The doctor said that my healing is so advanced that he said that I no longer require a wrist brace, only two and a half weeks since the accident. When I looked at the x-rays I marveled at one of the views which showed the fracture healed in the shape of a "J". I immediately thought how amazing it was that my Great Physician Jesus, initialed my x-ray and my healing. Hallelujah!

He has, and is turning what could have been a very bitter experience, into something sweet. What an awesome God we have.

There's more to the story that I will share in a future blog post.

(6)

Reply ↓
- Denise Moss on August 13, 2025 at 3:53 am said:
  
  Thank you God for your grace and mercy. The Goodness of God for your miraculous healing and protection, Tim
  
  (3)
  
  Reply ↓
- William Earnhardt on August 13, 2025 at 5:51 am said:
  
  Tim, we are so glad God saved your life! Sorry you had to go through this, but glad you saw the goodness of God.
  
  (2)
  
  Reply ↓
  - Tim Heischberg on August 13, 2025 at 7:14 am said:
    
    Thank you brother! I guess that my mission on earth isn't finished yet. I was just listening to the song, "The Goodness of God." It's so true that all my life he has been faithful and so, so good. Romans 8:28 is spot on and I'm claiming it. Not everything that we face in our life journey is good, but God can turn even the bad things around for our own good and his glory.
    
    (2)
    
    Reply ↓
Hewan Demissie Degu, on August 12, 2025 at 6:41 pm said:

A bitter life is not born bitter.
It is steeped — like tea — in trials,
infused with loss, disappointment,
and the ache of unmet longing.

But sweetness is not the absence of sorrow.
It is the presence of meaning.

Sweetness comes when:

- 🌱 **Pain is repurposed** — into wisdom, into empathy, into fuel for change.
- 🕊️ **Forgiveness flows** — not just to others, but inward, softening the hardened places.
- 🔥 **Hope is kindled** — not by naive optimism, but by the stubborn belief that healing is possible.
- 🤝 **Community surrounds** — voices that say, “You are not alone,” and mean it.
- 📖 **Faith deepens** — when scripture is not just read, but lived, wrestled with, and embraced in the dark.

Sweetness is found in the small:
a child’s laughter, a sunrise over Hawassa’s lake,
a manuscript finally accepted,
a prayer whispered and answered in silence.

(6)

Reply ↓
Barbara Buckley on August 12, 2025 at 8:43 pm said:

I Thank you for your Post, I always get so much from you thoughts William Earnhardt. And always how I can apply it to my life or share it with others, may God continue to give you wisdom as you share with us Amen

(3)

Reply ↓

Sabbath School Net

Seventh-day Adventist Bible Study Discussion

Comments

How a Bitter Life is Made Sweet — 6 Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply