In the Exodus story, and in our own lives, there is the water that drowns—and drowns out—the voices of the taskmasters. But there is another kind of water—the water that restores and brings rest. The work of God is not just to set free—the work of God is also to transform and to heal. What we find about freedom from taskmasters is that their voices may still linger. What we find about freedom from taskmasters is that their words may make us bitter. Indeed, no sooner has Miriam finished her song—“Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea” (Exod. 15:21)—than the Israelites are faced with bitter waters.
“Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah, because it was bitter…” (Exod. 15:22-23a). The LORD transforms these waters, telling the Israelites, “I am the God who heals you” (Exod. 15:26). The psalmist of Psalm 23 speaks about the LORD leading him beside still waters, waters of rest, restoring his soul (Ps. 23:2). The prophet Isaiah advises that in returning and rest, we will be saved (Isa. 30:15) and that we are to “come to the waters, come and listen, so that we may live” (Isa. 55:1, 3).
The Inner Voice of Love
It is not enough for the voice of the taskmasters to be drowned out—they must be replaced by a different voice. That different voice is, of course, the voice of God. Henri Nouwen calls this voice the Inner Voice of Love. This is a place of truth, a place of safety, and a place of gentleness. It is a place where our pain is kept safe rather than exploited. It is a place where our pain is not only heard, but attended to. And it is a place where, gradually, we come to rest, like a child at home.
When have you heard that voice—that Inner Voice of Love? You have heard it anytime you have felt, truly within your heart, a setting right of all the bitter words of the taskmaster:
When the taskmaster says, “Your pain defines you,” the Inner Voice of Love says, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14).
When the taskmaster says, “You’re too wounded for God to use you,” the Inner Voice of Love says, “Your wounds qualify you more.”
When the taskmaster says, “God’s love for you is limited, conditional,” the Inner Voice of Love says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3) and “We have known and believed the love God has for us” (1 Jn. 4:16).
When the taskmaster says, “You’ll be in this place forever,” the Inner Voice of Love says, “I will bring you to a better place” (Exod. 3:8).
When the taskmaster says, “Trying to get to a better place is too hard; the evil that you know is better than the uncertainty of something else. The way forward is too hard. Stay where you are,” the Inner Voice of Love says, “I began a good work in you, and I will carry it to completion” (Phil. 1:6).
When the taskmaster says, “No one else is struggling the way you are. Keep your pain a secret. Don’t be vulnerable,” the Inner Voice of Love says, “Love one another” (1 Jn. 4:11).
Knowing the love that Christ has for us—experiencing it in the places that matter most—is what it means to sit by waters of quiet rest. These waters baptize, they transform, and we must keep returning to this restorative place. In returning and rest, you will be saved, Isaiah tells us (Isa. 30:15). And in some strange way, in returning and rest, we will find the way forward.
This article is a part of a three-part series: