God is my rock and He gives life in the desert

On May 22, I continued my series with the second sermon on God is my rock.

Israel was wandering in the desert for 40 years and in the desert they learned to rely on God.  Now most of Israel is desert.  It is uncultivated wilderness, a type of semi-desert (steppes, dry grassland) that with water will grow crops.  There is another type of desert though that is both desert and wasteland.  Nothing will grow in that land even with water.
Some see Squamish as a spiritual wasteland that will not grow and take seed.  I say Squamish though a desert is not a wasteland and with God's water of the Spirit, it will become an oasis.
In the story of Exodus chapter 17, Moses is told to strike the rock to provide water for the people.  He strikes the rock and out comes water which truly is life in the desert.
Forty years later in Numbers chapter 20, God tells Moses to speak to the rock and it will provide water for God's people.  Instead Moses in anger strikes the rock and out flows water but God is not happy.   Moses did not make it into the promised land for his hotheadedness.
You see Moses lashed out on the rock which is Christ.  He struck Jesus in anger.  Jesus wants to give us life.  He wants to give us springs of living water flowing from within us.  But we need to speak to the rock.  To speak to the rock is to pray.  Jesus has been struck for us already on the cross.  To receive living water from him all we need to do is ask.

Dear Father, I am sorry for striking the rock.  I am sorry for saying my way is best and I know better than God.  I thank you for your Son who gives water and life who provides streams of living water in the desert.  Please teach me Lord to provide life to my friends and neighbours, to pray by speaking to the rock and not to lash out in anger.  In Jesus name.  Amen