Hard Hearts

“But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” Exodus 7:3

God said specifically, that He was going to “harden” Pharaoh's heart. This was THE plan from the very beginning. Pharaoh would hear and see truth but he would not believe in the one true God. Why? It is made real clear to us that God said that all of the Egyptians will “know that I am God” when God brings the plagues against this nation. Some people will only believe when they are under the toughest of circumstances. Sometimes, God needs to bring people to their rock bottom to get them to their knees, to truly know Him. I heard the saying once, “when we are flat on our backs, the only way to look is up.” This is so true. Some people have to learn the hard way and these were the Egyptians. This is God using tough circumstances to get the Egyptian attention. Don’t you think He does the same today? In the middle of challenges, we can see God more clearly. I remember reading Hosea where the Lord brings you into the desert and that is where He speaks to us tenderly there. Sometimes we need those desert experiences before we can be tuned in to hear God more clearly.

"I WILL LEAD HER INTO THE DESERT AND SPEAK TENDERLY TO HER." HOS. 2:14

Notice that God “leads” us into those desert experiences and that is when our hearts are softened and we can hear Him more clearly than ever before. I think of the most tender times with God and it was always when I was the most broken. God leads, we follow and He will speak tenderly! I am so grateful that God can bring good thing out of the toughest of times. God will minister to us in the desert as well as use it to implement His plan!

Question: Are you in the desert? Can you see God's plan in the midst of the the circumstances that are surrounding you?