Scripture to Read: Exodus 14:5–9
We’ve all made decisions we wish we had never made. God had taken Egypt through ten horrific plagues to show them that He alone is God. We saw how Pharaoh and the Egyptians were temporarily broken when the final plague was sent. We know it was temporary because of what we read today. God shows us in Exodus 14:5, “When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, ‘What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?’” That was an incredibly quick “change of heart” for Pharaoh and his servants. It had only been a few days since every household in Egypt had experienced a death in their family (Exodus 12:30), but suddenly, they regretted letting the Israelites go free. When we face tests and trials, as we know, God uses them to strengthen our faith in Him (James1:2–4), and we must choose to walk through them with an attitude of joy, knowing God is maturing us. Pharaoh and his servants worshipped many gods (Pharaoh included as one of their gods), so it’s no surprise how quickly they forgot all they had suffered from the One True God. Their hearts were hard, and they assembled their army to chase the Israelites so they could enslave them once more. We must die to our pride daily so we never miss the lessons God teaches us through the trials we face. Pride always results in destruction (Proverbs 16:18).
Challenge & Application
· When have you made a decision you quickly regretted, and what did God teach you through that experience?
· How do you guard against the ugliness of pride so that you and the people around you do not face destruction?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!