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How a Bitter Life is Made Sweet

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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.

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How a Bitter Life is Made Sweet — 12 Comments

  1. 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.

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      • Thank you brother! "We are immortal until our work on earth is done." George Whitefield
        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.

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    • Glory be to GOD for saving your life and miraculous healing. That terrible accident was meant to take you out. But GOD intervened turned it so that you can glorify His holy name even more.

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  2. 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.

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    • Amen, and amen. I'm thankful for this beautiful language of faith. Each statement is the story of my journey. They echo my life's sentiments and memoirs I'm writing—almost verbatim. Thank you for sharing.

      I'd also add that sweetness comes with the realization—as God shared with Abraham before Isaac, his longed-for blessing was born—that God is our exceeding great reward. That His presence is our light. Our peace. Our hope. Our salvation. Our everything. His presence is sweet.

      Angels shared humanity's sweetest message to shepherds in fields near Bethlehem: "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:8-13, Matthew 1:23).

      Emmanuel, God with us, is humanity's sweetest message. God was with Joseph, and Joseph was blessed—in the pit, the palace and the prison. In every moment, every crisis of life, despite every unmet need. It's so sweet to finally learn to trust Him. Oh, for grace to trust Him more as we journey home.

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  3. 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

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  4. I was pondering a little on bitterness. The verse came to my mind, sweeter than the honey and the honey comb, seems to me the opposite of bitterness. Psalm 19:10. Then pondering a little longer, and when Moses threw the log(ESV Bible)in the water, the water turned sweet. Yes, the law, testimony, statues,
    commandments, and judgements of the Lord is what the Bible is are talking about in verse 10 of Psalm 19. The longer you keep them the sweeter they grow. The more you love the Author the sweeter He grows. It is true, loving God and loving each other the story never ends. I am looking forward to life without an end how about you? Remember we have learned to lean on Jesus the Lord of the Old Testament also.

    I too would say to all readers who don't have a church and are searching for a church, or the Holy Spirit is prodding you, make the effort to go to a church that has the truth as presented in the Bible. Visit a Seventh-day Adventist Church in your area. And when you do, remember a church is only as friendly as you make it. Honestly, I don't know the source of that statement. Of course we will be friendly too.

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  5. Many thanks for all the posts above. Bitterness of the soul can rear it's ugly head when one travels through the school of hard knocks.

    I have never thought about the implications of the tree being cast into the river before. The Bible is truly an amazing book. Its words are for the healing of the nations. If only people would acknowledge the gems within its pages and not blinded by man's own willful ways.

    Jesus is truly THE WAY THE TRUTH and THE LIFE John 14:6. All bitterness will fade if we follow the words of the song Turn your eyes up on Jesus.

    Turn your eyes upon Jesus
    Look full in His wonderful face
    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
    In the light of His glory and grace

    Turn your eyes to the hillside
    Where justice and mercy embraced
    There the Son of God gave His life for us
    And our measureless debt was erased

    Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
    Jesus, our glory and our prize
    We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true
    Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You

    Turn your eyes to the morning
    And see Christ the Lion awake
    What a glorious dawn, fear of death is gone
    For we carry His life in our veins
    Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
    Jesus, our glory and our prize
    We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true

    Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You
    Turn your eyes to the heavens
    Our King will return for His own
    Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout
    "All glory to Jesus alone"
    Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
    Jesus, our glory and our prize
    We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true

    Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You, oh
    Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
    Jesus, our glory and our prize
    We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true
    Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You
    Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You

    Selah

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  6. Thank you Pastor William and everyone else for the insight on this story, your experiences and comments were such a blessing.
    I love to find the buried treasure in the Bible like this, and I find it also amazing how our parents failed the test from a tree as well, of which they did not find so sweet after all. I also find it something how Satan is still offering that beautiful fruit, which are the things of this world to entice man but none of it brings true peace, like knowing Jesus.
    Yes Jesus took our place on that tree and became the curse that was on anyone who died on a tree as stated below.

    “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for It Is written, cursed is everyone that hang on a tree Galatians 3:13. and the curse is in Deut 21:23.

    Also Jesus was referred to as a rod coming out of the root of Jesse and was it not with Moses rod of wood that God worked the miracles to deliver Israel from Egypt?

    So could it be that just as water represents Jesus as life sustainer, wood represents the salvation and redemption of life? Just think that tree, that was used to make the water sweet, lost its life as well to give sweetness. And is it not written about Jesus who is also the Word,
    How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yay, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Ps 119:103.
    More to be desired are they than gold, yay, then much fine gold: sweeter also then honey and the honeycomb.
    Ps 19:10.

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