Blessings

“But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted.”

Exodus 8:15

Isn’t it so easy for us to look at Pharaoh and shake our heads in disbelief. After numerous plagues that destroyed his crops, land and people, he still refused to surrender and allow the Israelites to go free.

I’ll admit it, I’m stubborn. I have been my whole life. My daughter was on antibiotics around this time last year, and hated the taste of it. I’m talking hated in the way that we sat in her room for three hours trying to get her to take it. It was late, we were exhausted and she was being so, so stubborn.

I sat there for 3 hours while she cried and even screamed a little about how much she hated it, but in the end I prevailed. She took it and quickly fell asleep. Sweet victory.

The more I thought about this story from the bible though, I realized that we can have an attitude like Pharaoh sometimes.

Yes, another plague had come. Yes, it was awful. Yes, it weakened him and his people. But once it was over and relief had come, he turned back to his old ways and became stubborn and adamant that the Israelites would not go free.

How often do we do that? We struggle and face mountains, cry out to God for relief and provision, only to have it come and us turn away from God. Ungrateful, unmoved and unchanged.

We must take the time to recognize and appreciate each and every blessing that God gives us. Just because it doesn’t come in the way we thought it would, doesn’t make it any less of a miracle.

God always hears our cries and sees our tears, we just have to allow the blessing to change us. Become more grateful, share your testimony with others, and rejoice that God has provided.

Let’s have grateful hearts today for all that He has done! Allow his blessings to change you and draw you closer to Him.

God, I’m sorry if I haven’t always appreciated everything You have done for me. I’m grateful for every blessing that has come into my life. I pray today that I could share my testimony with someone who doesn’t know You yet, and that they could see Your goodness.