God will do His part if you do yours!

Dear Friends-
I hope everyone is doing well and ready to enjoy some relaxation with family and friends this weekend. As part of my studies, I re-read the story of Moses and the Pharoah (which is included in summary form below). There are so many lessons we could learn from this story but during the Lenten season, I'd like us to review it again, focusing on our relationships with God.

Somethimes, we have difficult moments in our lives and we reach out to God to deliver us from our situations. Just like the Pharoah, we promise God not to commit "certain sins" if He relieves us from our pain. "Lord, if you deliver me from this, I promise to stop being so judgemental" or "I promise to be a more understanding wife" or "I promise to stop ignoring my family".
And just like Pharoah, as soon as our situation improves, we go right back to doing the same things we promised God we wouldn't do. Does this sound familiar?

Similar to the story of the Pharoah, our problems become worse and worse everytime we break those promises to God. We can't continue to keep asking for forgiveness and WILLFULLY continue those same sins we promised to stop committing.

As you search your hearts this Lenten season, think of any "issues" you've been struggling with. Ask the Lord to help you stand firm and keep your promise. He knows that we're not strong enough to resist temptation by ourselves but if we ask, in earnest, He will deliver us and reward us for our obedience.

In the meantime, stay blessed and have a wonderful weekend!
K.

Exodus Chapters 5-12 (Moses and Pharoah)

When Moses and his brother Aaron got to Egypt the Lord told them what to do. He said, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Israelites go. He will be very stubborn and it will take many signs and miracles before he will let you go; but everyone will know that I am God when he finally frees the Israelites."
So they did what God asked and they went to see Pharaoh. In front of Pharaoh Aaron threw down his staff and it became a snake (just as God told Moses it would).
Pharaoh didn't look surprised at all, he actually just smiled at Moses and Aaron. Without a word he snapped his fingers and a minute later three men walked in. Pharaoh whispered in one of the men's ears, and he nodded and spoke quietly to the others.
All at the same time they threw the staffs they were carrying to the ground and they became snakes, just like Moses and Aaron's. They turned and looked at each other with disappointment. They realized that these men were Pharaoh's magicians.
Just as Moses was feeling defeated his snake swallowed up all of the other snakes. This made Moses smile, surely Pharaoh would let them go now. But Pharaoh didn't seem to care, he shook his head and said, "Nice try, but the Israelites belong to me, and they work for Egypt I will not let them go."
Moses left disappointed, but excited to talk to God about what they would do next. After all God told them that it wouldn't be easy. So when God spoke next, they listened well, "Pharaoh's heart is hard, he's still not going to change his mind. Go see him tomorrow morning, he didn't listen today but I will continue to show him that I am God."
With their instructions from God, Moses and Aaron met Pharaoh the next morning. Aaron explained to Pharaoh, "Because you still won't listen God is going to change all the water in Egypt into blood. The fish will die, the river will stink, and none of the Egyptians will be able to drink it."
Pharaoh smiled and said, "Go ahead." So Aaron did what the Lord told him and put his staff into the water and it turned to blood. Pharaoh seemed a little surprised but he summoned his magicians and they also turned the water into blood. With that, Pharaoh's heart became hard, and he turned and walked back to his palace.
All the fish died, and the water smelled so bad, no matter where you were you could smell it. Can you imagine turning on your tap at home and having blood come out, what about having a bath, or even the water in your toilet. Of course the Egyptians didn't have sinks and toilets back then, but they still used water to drink, to make food, and to clean with.
After a whole week of this Pharaoh still wouldn't let the people go. But his magicians couldn't turn the blood back into water either. The Lord instructed Aaron and Moses to go see Pharaoh once again and He told them, "Tell Pharaoh to let my people go. If he refuses to let them go, I will plague the whole country with frogs."
They did as God asked and Pharaoh once again refused to let the people go. So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt and the frogs came up and covered everything. They really were everywhere! In the stoves where they cooked, in their beds, and they even jumped on the people.
The magicians could also make frogs appear - but this would be the last time that their magic would work. After a day of this Pharaoh couldn't take it anymore and he called for Moses and Aaron.
He begged Moses, "Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go." So Moses prayed to the Lord, and all the frogs died. But when Pharaoh saw that all the frogs were dead, he was relieved and he hardened his heart and changed his mind.
There were many other plagues that followed: Gnats and flies, all the livestock got sick and died, the Egyptians were covered in sores, hail came down and killed all the crops, locusts came and ate all the grass and everything green, and then there was complete darkness. Nobody left their homes because they couldn't even see where they were going.
With each of these plagues Pharaoh said he'd let the Israelites go if God put things back to normal, but then he kept changing his mind. You'd think he would've learned his lesson and let the Israelites go. God doesn't give up.
You may have felt sorry for the Israelites during all these plagues, but God made sure they were not touched by them. Only the Pharaoh and 'his people' the Egyptians went through these terrible times. The Israelites lived a little ways away, and God kept them safe, and put a pretend wall around them so none of the plagues could come to them.
If you thought all the other plagues were bad, there was one last plague (the tenth plague) that was way worse than any of the others. The Lord told them, "This will be the last plague on Pharaoh and Egypt, after this they will let you go. Around midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, even the son of Pharaoh, and there will be great sadness." Moses and Aaron warned Pharaoh, but he refused to listen.
The Lord had special instructions for Moses and Aaron, so that the Israelites would be sure to stay safe during this last plague. He told them, "The Israelites must kill their best sheep or goat. Then they are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and tops of the doors on their houses.
On that same night I will pass through Egypt like a ghost and take the life from every first born. If I see blood on the doorway that will be a sign for me to pass over the house and keep all who are inside safe.
This day will always be known as the Passover, because you were passed over and kept safe by God. You will continue to celebrate this day for many years." They were also to eat unleavened bread This would always remind them of the hurry that they left Egypt in.
Now you have to remember Pharaoh could have stopped all this a long time ago. God gave him many opportunities to let the Israelites go, but he would not listen. Unfortunately God had to teach Pharaoh a lesson and He did what He said He would do.