Is the Lord here or not?

So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" – Exodus 17v7

Massah and Meribah, Testing and Provocation; that is what Moses named the place where God gave water from the rock. In a moment that should have been full of joy and excitement Moses saw a real problem. In the time of crisis Moses saw that the people continued to test God and provoke Him with their lack of faith.

The greatest evidence of this is their question, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’

It is hard to imagine how they could even ask that question. After all they had seen God do they still questioned His presence.

My problem with this passage is not so much Israel, but me. I think back to time when things have been tough I myself have wondered if God was really among us or not. The issue is something we see over and over again. We judge God not by who He is but by what we see. Judging from Israel this is part of human nature. People have a history of doubting God when they are in trouble.

How often do we have our own Massah and Meribahs? How often to we test God and provoke Him with our lack of faith and that terrible question in our hearts?

Is God really here? He is here. May we never test Him by doubting His presence.