Elim

The Bible is about struggles and salvation; pain and joy; want and plenty, and a fickle people God loves. In Exodus, the people receive a great miracle of salvation when God parts the Red Sea to save them from their enemy. The Israelites forget about God’s provision and after only three days they whine and complain and want to stop, not where God wants them to stop but where the water is not fit to drink. God, in his great mercy, shepherds them to the perfect destination He has prepared in advance, the oasis of Elim. Elim is a place with more bounty than they can hope or imagine…12 springs and 70 palm trees. God took me out of my Egypt and gave me back my painting; my journey through the ‘Red Sea’ was exemplified in the completion of several beautiful pieces of art. Like the Israelites, I lost sight of His perfect provision, I painted a piece that discouraged me and I fell into the trap of self reliance; I took my faith off of His perfect plan and embraced hopelessness. Elim is the result of God’s shepherding me back into His plan, His oasis. He carried me through yet another trial and set me on the rock of His assurance.