Time To Throw Down!

Scripture: Exodus 14:4 "'Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.'" And they did so.

Observation: I find it incredible that someone can read the Exodus narrative and not see that God is the cause of Pharaoh's hard heart. If I believe that the OT is God's word, as Jesus said it is (Matthew 5:17-18, 22:29, 22:31-32; Mark 7:13; John 10:35) then God has
attributed Pharaoh's hard heart to Himself REPEATEDLY in the last 14 chapters... in some chapters, multiple times!

Again the real problem with this is not whether or not God can control us, but how He does it and how we simultaneously have a free will.

But that is not what caught my attention most here. God said that He will "gain honor" over Pharaoh. Honor before who? It seems the answer is the Egyptians (in the verse) but also before the Hebrews. But didn't God already do that with the plagues? Yes, but this will be different. How? With the plagues, the Egyptians learned that God has power over nature, false god's and over life and death. But here God will show Himself to be the Warrior of His people.

Application: God is the ultimate. In my life He has power over every enemy, every threat, every fear. Today this truth gets applied to my inability to lead my family how I desire, and to my fear about the Back-to-School run failing, and to my career's future. But I must remember that Godfights the  enemies that get between me and the future that He has planned for me - not the future that I have worked out.

Prayer: Father, oh, how You are trustworthy. Oh, how I am settled knowing You are my God! I will fall in behind my Warrior and trust You. Help me to remember to tell You about my worries and concerns. I don't want to miss how to fight for me! I love You. Amen.