Throwing Rocks as Pharaoh

Read: Exodus 9 -10 & Acts 5

“But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart.” Exodus 9:34

Examine:

Pharaoh turned to God in the previous verses and acknowledged his sin. As this verse reveals Pharaoh’s confessions was not based on his heart for God. It was based on the pain in his life. He turned to God only for relief. Once relief came he went right back to where he was at the beginning.

Apply:

“Oh God, please get me out of this and then I swear….” I shudder when I think of how many times I have uttered that phrase. Pain in my life related to work, relationships, health or finances drive me towards the heart of God. I then clean up, shape up and recommit. There is always a sense in me when this happens that this is the time will be the time I really mean it. There will be no going back. I will be all in and keep my promises this time. Then my life gets better. At first I am grateful and praise God for His goodness but before long life becomes manageable, I become bored, and then I land right back at the beginning again. This is the cycle of sin and repent Paul calls me to avoid.

The heart of the issue is the intentions of my heart. If my heart is centered on living a good life then I am helpless in avoiding this cycle. My choices will lead me to follow the path of least resistance and the one containing the best opportunity to find joy. But, if my heart is set on losing my life for the mission of God then my faith becomes my passion, the call of God becomes my focus, my circumstances become irrelevant, and the Kingdom of God becomes my prize.

Pray:

I am grateful for Your grace today for it is only because of Your grace that I am able to sit here and laugh at myself. My mind is carrying me back to the moments of chaos I have experienced and the number of times I have made promises to You that I never intended to keep. There have been seasons of life when Satan used these failures to keep me away from You but now I rest knowing they were dealt with on the cross and my condemnation is removed.

As much as I laugh at myself, I am also alarmed. It is easy to throw stones at Pharaoh this morning but I am sober enough to know there is still a force at work in me that is evil and self-seeking. There is still a part of me that seeks You for the sake of convenience and for convenience’s sake will pull up camp to pursue another. I ask that You continue to make Your call my ambition, my faith my passion, and the Kingdom my only prize. Separate my decisions from my circumstances and let me instead just be consumed by a desire to say yes to You no matter what.