When I Thought I Knew It All
So to understand what I'm about to say, you must know my background. For those of you who don't, let me fill you in a little. I have grown up in the church. I mean, when I was born, my parents were youth pastors and by the time I was in kindergarten, they were appointed as foreign missionaries with the Assemblies of God. I was in church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Children's church, Royal Rangers, youth groups. I did them all. I even attended a private Christian school for a while in elementary, middle school, and I home schooled through a Christian curriculum from 8th through 11th grade. I was voted as spiritual leader of the year during my 6th grade year. I was apart of the Bible quiz team in school. I then went to a Christian university where Bible classes were mandatory and chapel was several days a week.
I'm not saying all these things to boost my image in your eyes cause even with how I was raised, I have still made more than my fair share of mistakes in my life. I have not told you this to brag or be boastful, but to let you know where I'm coming from so when I tell the story of what happened to me this morning, you will understand the profound impact it has had on me.
Today is Sunday, February 3, 2019.
This morning I got up earlier than everyone else in the house cause I was the on duty sound guy at church today. (I absolutely love running sound at church, its one of my favorite things to do.) I got all ready to go and sat down in the living room for my morning devotions before I had to head to church.
I'm doing the One Year Chronological Bible devotion through the YouVersion Bible app available on any mobile device. If you haven't downloaded this, get it. It's free and has some great resources. Today's reading was in Exodus 7, 8 and 9. This is the part of the story of Moses where he and his brother Aaron (not me) go before Pharaoh to tell him the Lord wants him to let the people of Israel go free from their captivity.
This is why I gave you my background. See, this is a story I have heard and read a thousand times. My parents read me that story. I sat through many children's church services being taught about it. Sunday school teachers have expounded on it. I have heard more preachers than I can count preaching on it from their pulpits. I even read this story to Averie last week!
I know everything about this story and there is nothing else for me to gain from the story that I don't already know...so I thought.
Boy I was wrong.
Reading the verses this morning something hit me like a ton of bricks. Something I have never thought about before. I'm not saying I'm the first to have this revelation but its the first I have heard it anywhere.
Throughout Exodus 8 and 9, the same basic story plays out with different details. Pharaoh hears the Word of the Lord (let my people go) from Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh ignores it, Pharaoh faces trials and tribulations (the plagues), Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron in repents and agrees to let the Israelites go if the plague ends, God stops the plague, Pharaoh goes back to his old ways (doesn't let the Israelites go), the story repeats.
As I read these chapters, I got to verse 34 and 35 of chapter 9. It reads (New King James Version):
34. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants.
35. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.
As I finished these verses, I heard the Lord tell me "You are Pharaoh." I was flabbergasted to say the least. I am Pharaoh? I'm nothing like Pharaoh. Then the Lord continued, "You are Pharaoh. You have heard my Word and not hidden it in your heart. You have cried out to Me in your struggles and I have delivered you. And once you were delivered, you went back to your sinful ways. You are Pharaoh."
Needless to say, its true. I am Pharaoh. For years I have been Pharaoh. I have believed in and called upon the Lord but played the Pharaoh game for years by turning back to things that negatively influenced my life. I sat here on my couch. Broken. I told the Lord, I don't want to be Pharaoh. Then as simple as this all started, the Lord replied "Then don't be Pharaoh." So simple. So true. I'm far from perfect and I became a pro at dancing the fence. I decided when I started my social media break that I didn't want to dance the fence anymore. Revelation 3:15-16 says:
15. "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."
Simply translated: Don't be Pharaoh. I don't want to be vomited from God's mouth.
A Star Wars quote fits so well here: "Do or do not, there is no try."
At this point I realized I was late and rushed off to church. It's never good when the sound guy is late. Today was the anniversary of the church and we had a guest speaker. His message was entitled "Time for Change". It was about making that change in your life and not going back. Essentially, don't be Pharaoh.
I love how God works.
My lesson was two fold this morning: 1) The only thing I am positive of is that I do not know everything, and 2) continue to strive not to be Pharaoh.
Even when I thought I knew it all, He showed me I didn't, all through a story I have read a thousand times. I have been chomping at the bit to share this since this morning hoping you will be blessed like I was today.
Until next time,
Live long and prosper,
May the Force be with you,
and most importantly, may God richly bless you.
I'm not saying all these things to boost my image in your eyes cause even with how I was raised, I have still made more than my fair share of mistakes in my life. I have not told you this to brag or be boastful, but to let you know where I'm coming from so when I tell the story of what happened to me this morning, you will understand the profound impact it has had on me.
Today is Sunday, February 3, 2019.
This morning I got up earlier than everyone else in the house cause I was the on duty sound guy at church today. (I absolutely love running sound at church, its one of my favorite things to do.) I got all ready to go and sat down in the living room for my morning devotions before I had to head to church.
I'm doing the One Year Chronological Bible devotion through the YouVersion Bible app available on any mobile device. If you haven't downloaded this, get it. It's free and has some great resources. Today's reading was in Exodus 7, 8 and 9. This is the part of the story of Moses where he and his brother Aaron (not me) go before Pharaoh to tell him the Lord wants him to let the people of Israel go free from their captivity.
This is why I gave you my background. See, this is a story I have heard and read a thousand times. My parents read me that story. I sat through many children's church services being taught about it. Sunday school teachers have expounded on it. I have heard more preachers than I can count preaching on it from their pulpits. I even read this story to Averie last week!
I know everything about this story and there is nothing else for me to gain from the story that I don't already know...so I thought.
Boy I was wrong.
Reading the verses this morning something hit me like a ton of bricks. Something I have never thought about before. I'm not saying I'm the first to have this revelation but its the first I have heard it anywhere.
Throughout Exodus 8 and 9, the same basic story plays out with different details. Pharaoh hears the Word of the Lord (let my people go) from Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh ignores it, Pharaoh faces trials and tribulations (the plagues), Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron in repents and agrees to let the Israelites go if the plague ends, God stops the plague, Pharaoh goes back to his old ways (doesn't let the Israelites go), the story repeats.
As I read these chapters, I got to verse 34 and 35 of chapter 9. It reads (New King James Version):
34. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants.
35. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.
As I finished these verses, I heard the Lord tell me "You are Pharaoh." I was flabbergasted to say the least. I am Pharaoh? I'm nothing like Pharaoh. Then the Lord continued, "You are Pharaoh. You have heard my Word and not hidden it in your heart. You have cried out to Me in your struggles and I have delivered you. And once you were delivered, you went back to your sinful ways. You are Pharaoh."
Needless to say, its true. I am Pharaoh. For years I have been Pharaoh. I have believed in and called upon the Lord but played the Pharaoh game for years by turning back to things that negatively influenced my life. I sat here on my couch. Broken. I told the Lord, I don't want to be Pharaoh. Then as simple as this all started, the Lord replied "Then don't be Pharaoh." So simple. So true. I'm far from perfect and I became a pro at dancing the fence. I decided when I started my social media break that I didn't want to dance the fence anymore. Revelation 3:15-16 says:
15. "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."
Simply translated: Don't be Pharaoh. I don't want to be vomited from God's mouth.
A Star Wars quote fits so well here: "Do or do not, there is no try."
At this point I realized I was late and rushed off to church. It's never good when the sound guy is late. Today was the anniversary of the church and we had a guest speaker. His message was entitled "Time for Change". It was about making that change in your life and not going back. Essentially, don't be Pharaoh.
I love how God works.
My lesson was two fold this morning: 1) The only thing I am positive of is that I do not know everything, and 2) continue to strive not to be Pharaoh.
Even when I thought I knew it all, He showed me I didn't, all through a story I have read a thousand times. I have been chomping at the bit to share this since this morning hoping you will be blessed like I was today.
Until next time,
Live long and prosper,
May the Force be with you,
and most importantly, may God richly bless you.
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