Prayer Counseling Ministries, Inc.

FAITH THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Hebrews 11:27

  "By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel."

By faith he (Moses) kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood. Of all the plagues to be released against Egypt this was the most devastating. God told Moses to have all the Hebrews to kills a lamb, cook it and eat it during the time of destruction. They were to take the lambs blood and put some on their doorposts. They were not to go outside; only those families in homes with the blood on their doorposts would be spared the loss of their firstborn children.

By faith (trusting in what God said), Moses instructed the Hebrew people in preparing and eating the Passover meal and sprinkling the lambs blood on their doorposts just as God said to do it, to keep the angel of death (the destroyer) from killing the firstborn children in each family. Those families that chose not to follow Moses instructions lost their firstborn child. Not because God is harsh, but because of the hardness of their own hearts.

You might consider the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians a very harsh move on God's part. I would like you to consider all God had done in Egypt to try to keep from this act. God had visited Egypt for many years. Through the lives of Abraham and Isaac, God spoke to the Egyptian leaders of His existence, yet they did not turn to Him. Through the life of Joseph the Egyptians had a chance to come to know the true God, yet they choose not too. Finally, with Moses, God began with some very simple acts to remind them of who He was and to get them to obey Him by letting the Hebrews go. As you study each of the ten plagues you will notice they get more severe. Each time there didn't have to be another plague, if Pharaoh would just let God's people leave. He refused. His hardness of heart caused the harshness of God's response. Pharaoh had refused to listen to God, refused to give in to Him, or acknowledge Him so God had to get his attention in a way he would finally understand.

You know, in the same way God deals with us in areas of our sin and in the areas of our disobedience. He begins softly bringing our sin and/or disobedience to mind gently pushing us to repent and ask His forgiveness. If we don't listen He pushes a bit harder. When we become stubborn and hard-hearted, He is forced to be harsher than He wants to be because we have chosen a course of turning away from Him and to turn us back He moves. God always begins with love (blessings, answers to prayers, health, etc.), if we don't deal with our sin and/or disobedience; He then has to get our attention another way.

When we become Christians we enter into a covenant with God, a contract, that says, "God, change me to be more like You." He takes that serious and in love does what He can to fulfill the contract.

By faith you and I need to understand that God will be faithful and act on our behalf. I challenge you today to look at those areas in your life where you feel God is being harsh or ignoring all together to see if you need to repent and ask His forgiveness for sin or disobedience. Remember God disciplines those He loves. He begins with soft nudges before moving on to harsh measures. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize His soft nudges.

Have a faithful day.
Jim

Prayer Counseling Ministries, Inc.  - Christian Counseling - 765-491-3843