Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 20: Hard Heads and Harder Hearts

Hello everyone!

In today's reading of Exodus 7-9, Pharaoh's refusal to release God's people has deadly consequences.

Ever heard of the 10 plagues? We only go through part of the plagues today, but that's bad enough.

After the first one, I'd have been dropping to my knees and begging for the Israelites to leave.

But that's me.

Pharaoh continues to prove stubborn, and keeps hardening his heart to all the mighty things he can see in front of his face.

So, first, Aaron's staff turns to a serpent. But Pharaoh's magicians can do that too, so he isn't impressed.

Then the plagues hit.

The plagues Egypt has seen so far are:

1. Water to blood
2. Frogs
3. Gnats
4. Flies
5. Death of livestock
6. Boils
7. Hail

After all of that, Pharaoh still wouldn't release the Israelites. Despite the evidence in front of his face, he still didn't believe.

Pharaoh is an extreme case, but the fact is, we've all behaved this way at some point.

Maybe the signs aren't always as noticeable as these, but haven't we all struggled to believe that God is real? Or at least that He cared?

Aren't there areas in our lives where we've been stubborn or hardhearted about something God had told us to do?

I know I have. It's a very human trait to disbelieve something we can't understand. It's a very human trait to try to rationalize, to think that God couldn't have possibly asked that of us, because it's difficult or hard to understand.

But sometimes He does ask things of us that we don't like.

And if we refuse, sometimes He has to use extreme measures to get our attention.

Thankfully, that's where God's Spirit inside of us comes through. God's Spirit and His Word give us faith to believe the unbelievable. To dream the unthinkable. To do the impossible.

Because, as we know:

"...with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25)

So, that's what I took from today's reading.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 10-12. We'll be finishing up the plagues then.