Date: 01-23-2020

Title: Be Careful of the Counsel You Take

(S) cripture:
    Exodus 8:18-19 (NASB77) And the magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ” This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

(O) bservation:
    Pharaoh’s magicians had been able to reproduce the first three signs Moses has done, staff into a serpent, Nile to blood and frogs, but certainly not to the extent that God through Moses did them. I can imagine that Pharaoh was being told and shown that these were just magic tricks and not really from God and in response he refused to let the people go. Here though is a sign, gnats, that they cannot reproduce. I think their counsel now is laced with some fear when they tell Pharaoh that “this is the finger of God.” Even with this counsel Pharaoh does not comply.

(A) pplication:
    I wonder how often I mistake God’s actions around me as something that I can do or reproduce in my own power? I wonder how often I resist what God wants to do because of this pride and arrogance. I do not want to assign to luck or human achievement what God is doing. I want to recognize God at work and join Him in it. I want a tender heart before God.

(P) rayer:
    Lord by Your Spirit make me keenly aware of your work and action in and around my life. Make me aware of my arrogance and disobedience so that I can confess my sin and follow you more closely. My desire is to walk by faith and not by sight. Let me see you clearly today, Amen