September 30 - His Heart Was Unyielding

Today's Reading: 
Exodus 8:1-9:35
Luke 13:22-14:6
Psalm 18:43-50 
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Focus Verses:
Exodus 9:5-7
5 The LORD set a time and said, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land." 6 And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.

Insight:
When it came to Moses and his God, Pharaoh struggled with two things. First, whether or not to believe this God was true. Second, whether or not he should submit to this God.

During the time of the Pharaohs, the people of Egypt believed in many gods. In their way of thinking, some gods were more powerful than others. They didn't have a concept of one true God who had ultimate power and who was worthy of complete surrender. In fact, every one of the plagues may have been a direct confrontation of specific gods Egyptians worshiped (the god of blood, the frog god, the god of darkness, of flies, of gnats, Pharaoh himself, etc.).

With every plague, God was making it undeniably clear to Pharaoh that the God of Abraham was the only true and almighty God. And with every new realization, Pharaoh was forced to make a choice—soften his heart and submit this God, or harden his heart and resist him.

Response and Action:
It is not enough to believe in God, I must surrender my life to him. If I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, I must submit to his authority and yield my heart and life to him. True faith results in complete surrender.

O God, help me to see you more clearly every day. Show me who you are through your Word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to submit to you in thought, word, and deed. Give me a readiness to obey you and follow in the steps of Jesus. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Resources:
Jesus Among Other Gods The Absolute Claims Of The Christian Message
by Ravi Zacharias