God’s Kindness in the Plagues
Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
Proverbs 28:14 (ESV)
But Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go.
Exodus 8:32 (NLT)
There’s a sad reality in the book of Exodus. The plagues were not acts of cruelty, nor was God toying with Egypt and its people; they were opportunities—opportunities to repent, align with God's will, recognize who He is, and respond to Him. Things could have turned out so differently. Instead, the revelation of God’s character and power through the plagues only drove Pharaoh further into stubborn rebellion, hardening his heart past the point of no return.
When God reveals Himself through His Word, His creation or His people, we face a choice: to move toward Him or away from Him. Think about it like this: the same rays of the sun can melt wax or harden clay. In the same way, truth can transform us into the image of Christ, or, if we resist it, harden our hearts and push us further from the freedom He offers.
A hard heart grows from misunderstanding God’s character, resisting His ways, and refusing to trust His heart for us. When we try to rule our own lives, we slowly drift into the traps the world and the enemy have set. Left to ourselves, we follow our own paths, but every path apart from Jesus leads to death.
Yet the kindness of the Lord leads us to repentance. We do not need to fear when He reveals His truth in our hearts. His mercy shows us His ways, the way to life. When we lose our lives in Him, we truly gain them. Unfortunately, Pharaoh refused the invitations and rejected the opportunities to change the way he thought.
The good news is that God’s invitation still stands for us today. His grace is patient, His mercy is new each morning, and His Spirit is always drawing us closer. Each time He speaks or reveals His character, we have another chance to soften our hearts, trust Him more deeply, and be shaped into the likeness of Christ.
APPLICATION: Take a moment to consider how you respond when God reveals Himself—through His Word, creation or others. Are you softening your heart toward Him, or resisting His truth? Ask Him to soften your heart today and guide you closer to His ways.
PRAYER: Father, soften my heart to Your truth. Help me to trust You, follow Your ways, and be shaped more into the likeness of Christ. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?