WHEN CRISIS MAKES US FORGET

READINGS: THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

In the first reading of this 3rd Sunday of Lent (Exodus 17:3- 7), we read about Israel’s complaint to Moses about the lack of water. Thirst had made them feel abandoned, and fear quickly turned into blame and anger, as they forgot the God who opened the sea, who guided them by cloud and fire, who fed them with manna. This passage is not just about water; it is about what suffering does to memory, trust, and relationships. Crisis had shrunk their memory and magnified their panic, and this is what happens when life hurts. We more often than not turn pain into accusation and anxiety into conflict.

Amazingly, God responded to them, not with punishment but with provision. Water flows from a rock—an impossible place—revealing that God’s presence is not cancelled by our doubts. The miracle is not just water; it is mercy. The fact is that fear can make us rewrite our story. Under pressure, we can easily forget God’s past faithfulness as if it never happened. We see only the threat before us. We confuse discomfort with abandonment. We assume that if life is hard, God must be absent. We may even begin to project our inner turmoil onto others. As we saw in the reading, Moses became the target of their frustration, showing how easily we blame people when the real struggle is spiritual. Wo, when stressed, let us revisit our “evidence file” of God’s past faithfulness and our own resilience.

Our complaint, many a time, is a cry for something deeper—security, clarity, reassurance. In which case, bring that truth to God and ask Him to open the door to healing. Hard moments do not mean God has withdrawn. Recalling past deliverances, our own “crossing of the Red Sea moments” can keep panic from becoming our interpreter. In these moments of panic, we need to keep our eyes open because God can show up in unlikely places. It was from a rock, the most unlikely place, that God provided water for the Israelites to drink. So, God’s grace often comes from directions we never expect.

It is very important that we guard our relationships in moments of stress. The Israelites attacked Moses, but the real issue was fear. Slow down in moments of distress so that anxiety does not get turned into accusation. In moments of crisis, we can either pray or quarrel, ask or attack. Far more helpful is to choose language that opens doors, not language that burns bridges. So, test less and trust more, especially when it comes to timing. As leaders, we cannot afford to harden or panic in a moment of crisis. From our reading, we can see that Moses brought the problem to God. Healthy leadership carries needs upward before reacting outward.

We must never forget that crisis moments are also classrooms of learning and growth. Our lives will always encounter that gap between promise and provision. In these situations, faith is not just pretending that we are not thirsty but refusing to conclude that God is absent simply because we are uncomfortable. It is believing that the God who has been there for me before, will do it again and again, by His grace.

May we never forget the goodness of the Lord. Amen!