Exodus: The Finger Of God

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 7-9
Message: Exodus: The Finger Of God

Hello My Friend,

There are some things that happen in our lives that we just have to look up to God and say, “Your hand was in this.” At other times we look up to God and say, “Where are You? There are people on this earth that believe the second you are born your life is planned out from start to finish. Now, I do believe that there are some things that we go through that are destined for our lives, but the majority of the time, it is the decisions we make that plan our destinies. Do you want to know why? Free will. God has given each and every one of us the free will to choose what we do, and while God's hand can point us in the right direction He will never force us do anything we do not want to do. He may want all of His creation to know His Son, but that is a decision each one of us need to make. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:29-31.

Keep in mind that God's hand is in everything pertaining to this world, after all, He created it and every one of us, and He will use us in the way He wants to use us, even if we go against Him. Pharaoh took pride in the fact he had complete control over the Israelites and had no intentions of letting them go free. When Moses, by God's command, went before Pharaoh to tell him to release them, he probably had no idea that it was going to be so difficult, but God knew exactly what he was going to do. You see, God never forgot the horrible act of Pharaoh casting all of the male Hebrew babies into the river, and now, it was time for vengeance.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.” - Exodus 7:1-7.

“and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” God could use any means to prove that He is the one and only Almighty God, but He chooses the very things that people choose over Him. It is pride that keeps a heart hard from God, and until the heart sees the need for God, conviction will be overruled by conceit. “For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.” - Psalms 10:3-6.

Adversity, An event, or series of events, which oppose success or desire. No one wants to be in adversity, I've been facing adversity for several years now, and would love to go back to my comfortable life of security, but God has a reason for putting me through this, and as long as I keep looking to Him, I know He will bring me out of it. Those who do not have Christ with them cannot handle adversity, in fact, they become down right unbearable. God sends Moses back to Pharaoh, several times, each time he thought to let them go, his pride would stop him.

“And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.” - Exodus 8:12-19.
“This is the finger of God:” Interestingly, every one of the plagues that God sent to the Egyptians had a purpose, frogs were something of great superstition as they represented one of their gods. We hear of magicians doing some of the works that God did, these are people the devil controls, even they began to realize that God's hand was in it. This is a reminder that while we all have the free will to choose what we believe, God is still in control and will judge every person accordingly. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” - Matthew 12:35-37.

It is a very bad idea to tempt or go against God because not only are we individually affected by it, everyone else is as well. God continues to send one plague after another in order to get Pharaoh to release Israel, each time the plague got more severe, now, even some of the Egyptians were telling Pharaoh to let them go, but he refused. This time God was going to send a plague that affected their source of food.

“Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 9:18-23.

“He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh” Fearing the word of God, believe it, accept it, and obey it, you can choose to reject it, but that does not mean you are off the hook. Until we humble ourselves to God the plagues in our lives will only get worse. We cannot choose what we want to believe from the Bible, we must believe in and obey all of it to have the best success in this life we are given. “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” - Proverbs 7:2,3.

Today's Prayer: God, It is only when I trust in You with all my heart that I realize that everything You allow in my life has a purpose. When You are first in my thoughts, my attitudes, and my actions that is when You will bless me the most. Instead of being doubtful I will pray, instead of being afraid I will be courageous, instead of being weak I will be strong, I will be all these things because You are in me and will carry me through. During my adversity I will not resort to my own understanding, but trust that Your hand is in it, and You will bring it all to pass. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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