2009 – Day 76.Mar. 18 – Plagues That Preach

2009 – Day 76.Mar. 18 – Plagues That Preach

Passage of the Day: Exodus 7 - 10 … Use this link to read these four chapters …

My Journal for Today: God’s wrath is horrible. … But God’s grace is wonderful.

Normally I write a lot each day to document what God shares with me in these devotionals. But today I think I could just share what I’ve shared in these two sentences above; and that would say it all. I’ve experienced both sides of God … His wrath and His grace. And take it from me – or from these four chapters in Exodus, you don’t want to experience the purposeful wrath of God, which He uses to break the will of the Pharaoh’s of the world. I was one of those once; and it ain’t pretty.

But on the other side of that coin, having experienced God’s wondrous saving grace and His powerful enabling grace, which is offered freely by the sacrifice of Christ, it is a “no-brainer” to choose God’s grace over His wrath. When God’s wrath comes down, as it did upon Pharaoh or upon Sodom and Gomorrah, or when the flood wiped out all but eight on earth, you don’t want to be the one where God’s plague is preaching his deliverance. Those who experience the horror of God’s wrath either become heart broken or, like Pharaoh, they become heart hardened. Take it from me; you don’t want to be either of these if God is speaking to you through tough circumstances in your life.

But dear one, this story also shows us that it’s far better to be like the enslaved Hebrews, becoming the benefactors of God’s mercy and grace because they were willing to surrender to God’s love. The truth here to hold onto is this: If you won’t humble yourself and receive God’s free offer of grace, He will humble you with His wrath.

I’ve been on both sides of that fence; and take from the former hard-head, it’s a lot better to give it up and walk free FOR God, rather than being broken BY God. So, if you’re being Pharaoh and rejecting God’s grace, … BEWARE! At some time, God is going to release His wrath in your life; and you don’t want to be the hard-head who’s been turning away from God. Just give it up now; and take the grace which is freely offered by Jesus. Allow God to free you from yourself so that you can walk free with His grace.

My Prayer for Today: I choose grace, Lord! Amen