God’s guidance is not always subtle

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

How do we think we know what God is saying to us? Some don’t believe we can ever know, even if God is real. But here, I love the pattern God lays down for people to know his voice for sure – prayer (as God speaks directly with Moses), prophecy (Aaron is called to relay God’s words faithfully) and power (God backs up his promises in ways we can’t miss, even if we might try and explain it away.)

One thing which always puzzles me about Pharaoh is how God seems to keep playing with him, hardening his heart and making the bad situations worse. But did God made him any more flawed than he already was? Pharaoh was a textbook example of pride and resisting God, wanting to have his own way. In that way, this isn’t just a story about him, it’s about all human resistance to God, including ours.

One weird detail stood out to me as a plague of blood threatened the nation. Why would Pharaoh want his magicians to do the same thing again, increasing the harm on his people? I think he was maybe much less interested in his country than he was in his sense of getting things done his own way, by his own power. God could only appear real and meaningful to Pharaoh at his breaking point, and that was tragic. God’s work was to reconcile people to himself, but this story shows the ultimate results of choosing to believe in him or not.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God will go to extreme lengths to show people who he is, what he is like and what he wants for us. He also knows our hearts, motivations and desires. For people determined to oppose him, life can be very difficult indeed. But for people who want a relationship with him and believe, God’s power works for them in awesome ways.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

I wonder if there are situations coming where God might want me to do and say exactly as he says? I'd better get better at listening to God and responding, just in case. I’m encouraged that God provides what we need and can team us up where we still need help, so I need to grow in trust that when God tells me to do something, his power will be working.

Who am I going to share this with?

I recently engaged with some Immanuel prayer where I believe I received guidance from God to get ready to make a move, empowered by gospel of peace, perhaps to share it. I’m going to look and listen for where this seems to be needed and where God seems to be guiding in our community.