SCRIPTURE
Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile." "Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. (Exodus 8:9-10)
OBSERVATION
The land was teeming with frogs. This was second plague God brought on the Egyptians because Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go. The frogs covered the land. They were found in beds, in ovens, and in kneading troughs. Moses went to Pharaoh and said, "You can decide when you want me to pray to get rid of the frogs." Pharaoh's response, "Tomorrow."
Incredible. He could get rid of the frogs in that moment, yet he waits until tomorrow. He's just a hard guy to figure out. Why did he say "tomorrow?" There could be a lot of reasons, the same reasons we would use. Pride comes to mind. His magicians could do the same frog tricks, so he wasn't going to give Moses the satisfaction of yielding to his God. Maybe he got comfortable. Live with a problem long enough and you get used to it. The croaking can almost become a symphony. Maybe he wanted to avoid the hard work of facing the clean up. The frogs did not hop away, they died and were piled into stinking, reeking, heaps. Sometimes its easier to accommodate a problem than have it croak and smell up the place.
APPLICATION
In a way, I get "tomorrow." Sometimes I don't want to deal the the situation today. It's easier to live with the frogs in my life than take them to God and have him clean them up. It's too hard, too smelly, or for a variety of other excuses I could give. After awhile, the frogs can become pets, a fixture in my life. But they are not what God intends for my life. He wants me to be rid of the plagues, the consequences of disobeying him (that's in essence what the frogs were, a response to Pharaoh's hard heart). That is the problem, I become too attached to the frogs and don't want them dead. But that's what God offers today, exodus, deliverance. Dealing with the problem only smells for awhile. Eventually it turns to fertilizer that causes great spiritual growth. I should not wait for tomorrow but need to hop to it today.
PRAYER
Lord, it's easy to live with the frogs. Help me see the great deliverance that only you can offer.
