Trusting God in Bitter Moments

One of the most difficult yet essential questions we must wrestle with in our walk with God is this: Will God put us in situations where we lack what we think we need, and then add something we don't want? The answer, as we see in Scripture, is yes.

In Exodus, the people of Israel find themselves in such a situation. They are just three days removed from witnessing God split the Red Sea and deliver them in miraculous fashion. They had sung songs of praise and worship, celebrating God’s strength and faithfulness. But now, they’re thirsty. They need water, and God provides water. But it’s bitter.

This is not what they were expecting. Their response? Grumbling.

They don’t say, “Moses, we’re a little concerned about the water situation. Do you have a plan?” Instead, they grumble against him, questioning what they will drink and casting aside the memory of God’s recent faithfulness. This reaction is not just worry or concern. It’s frustration. It’s a complaint. And it’s a recurring pattern.

Before we rush to judge them, we need to pause and recognize that we do the same thing.

From Worship to Grumbling
Think about it. How often do we leave a moment of worship where we've just sung about God's power and goodness, only to slip quickly into complaining? It doesn’t take long. Maybe it's about the traffic on the way home, or something frustrating that pops up later in the day. Suddenly, the songs we just sang seem far away, and our natural lean takes over.
That natural lean is toward grumbling.

And this isn’t just a minor character flaw. It’s deeper than that. For the people of God, grumbling is not just a bad habit. It’s a posture of the heart that reveals something serious. It reveals a lack of trust. It shows how quickly we forget who God is and what He has done.

Complaining Reveals Contempt
It's one thing for the world to complain about life’s circumstances. But for the people of God, those who have been rescued from death and given life, complaining carries a different weight. It reveals a kind of contempt toward the One who saved us.

It may not feel that serious in the moment. We might tell ourselves that we're not really complaining about God. We're just frustrated with our boss, our job, or the people in our community group. We say, “I'm not criticizing God. I'm just venting about what's happening in my life.”

But Moses addresses this directly in Exodus 16:8, when he tells the people, “Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

That’s the heart of the issue. To grumble about our circumstances is, whether we realize it or not, to grumble against God.

The Thanksgiving Table Analogy
Think of it this way. Imagine you invite someone to your home for Thanksgiving dinner. They walk in, sniff the air, and immediately say, “What’s that smell? That’s disgusting.” Naturally, you’d feel offended. And if they tried to clarify, “Oh, I’m not talking about you, just the food,” it wouldn’t make much difference. Because to criticize the meal is to criticize the cook.

In the same way, when we criticize the circumstances of our lives without acknowledging the sovereignty of God, we are criticizing the One who is ultimately in control. When we complain about the “meal” we've been served, we are, in essence, criticizing the Cook.

And when we live this way consistently, what we communicate, especially to the watching world, is that God is only relevant when things are going well. That He’s only present in the powerful, miraculous, mountaintop moments.

But that’s not the truth. God is present in the bitter seasons, too.

Grumbling vs. Glory
When we grumble, we miss out. We miss the opportunity to glorify God in our hardship. We miss the ministry moments that come when we choose to trust rather than complain. And we confuse the world, because we were made to reflect God’s glory. If people see us worship on Sunday but complain all week long, that reflection becomes distorted.

Grumbling isn't just a personality quirk or a stress response. It’s a spiritual issue.

A Call to Trust
So what do we do with this?

First, we need to recognize the test. Just as God tested the Israelites by giving them bitter water, He may allow situations in our lives where we feel like we lack what we need or receive what we didn’t want. Those moments are opportunities to trust, not to grumble.

Second, we need to stop downplaying our complaints. They matter. They reveal what we believe about God’s presence and His goodness.

And finally, we need to lean into gratitude. Not just in the good times, but especially in the hard ones. Trusting God doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect. It means believing He’s still good, even when the water tastes bitter.

Let us not be people who quickly forget what God has done. Let us be people who trust Him. Not just when He parts the sea, but when He brings us to the desert. Not just when He fills our hands, but when He tests our hearts.

Because even in the test, He is faithful.



This blog is based on the message shared by Student Pastor Tim Yeager at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. Check out the full message below!