FEBRUARY 3 - MORE, INTENSE PLAGUES
READ Exodus 9
The plagues on Egypt intensify.
INSIGHT
Frogs and gnats? Boils and hail? Water into blood? What strange plagues! What reasoning went behind the selection of plagues? Were they chosen at random, or was there design behind it? Though we might not always be able to discern it, the God of omniscience does nothing without design. The Egyptians worshiped odd and debased gods. Each plague was designed to strike at the credibility of an Egyptian god and manifest the barrenness of belief in these objects. God does the same today. Our gods are fortune, power, beauty, talent, and intelligence. There's nothing wrong with them as servants, but when we worship them, they are cruel. God shows the barrenness of worshiping them by allowing people without them to be deeply joyful while those who worship them are tortured. Again, today, God's personal mark of blessing is the fruit of the Spirit and not necessarily of the vine. Joy is found in God, not things.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord praise for the joy He gives:
My soul, bless the Lord!
Lord my God, you are very great;
You are clothed with majesty and splendor.
He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe,
Spreading out the sky like a canopy (Psalm 104:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord:
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones,
And praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
But his favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may stay overnight,
But there is joy in the morning (Psalm 30:4-5).
As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Lord, you are my portion
And my cup of blessing;
You hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me
In pleasant places;
Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
Now offer this prayer of worship:
Our Lord is great, vast in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord helps the oppressed
But brings the wicked to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
The plagues on Egypt intensify.
INSIGHT
Frogs and gnats? Boils and hail? Water into blood? What strange plagues! What reasoning went behind the selection of plagues? Were they chosen at random, or was there design behind it? Though we might not always be able to discern it, the God of omniscience does nothing without design. The Egyptians worshiped odd and debased gods. Each plague was designed to strike at the credibility of an Egyptian god and manifest the barrenness of belief in these objects. God does the same today. Our gods are fortune, power, beauty, talent, and intelligence. There's nothing wrong with them as servants, but when we worship them, they are cruel. God shows the barrenness of worshiping them by allowing people without them to be deeply joyful while those who worship them are tortured. Again, today, God's personal mark of blessing is the fruit of the Spirit and not necessarily of the vine. Joy is found in God, not things.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord praise for the joy He gives:
My soul, bless the Lord!
Lord my God, you are very great;
You are clothed with majesty and splendor.
He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe,
Spreading out the sky like a canopy (Psalm 104:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord:
Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones,
And praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
But his favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may stay overnight,
But there is joy in the morning (Psalm 30:4-5).
As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Lord, you are my portion
And my cup of blessing;
You hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me
In pleasant places;
Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
- Greater wisdom for living life
- The needs of your immediate family
- The concerns of your heart
Now offer this prayer of worship:
Our Lord is great, vast in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord helps the oppressed
But brings the wicked to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
A Dogwood Church Discipleship Ministry Resource. © Walk Thru the Bible 2023.