READING: Exodus 10-12
Ten plagues. Blood. Frogs. Gnats. Flies. Livestock. Boils. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. And then death of the firstborn. Time after time, God displayed His power to the people of Egypt and to His own people, who would later tell their children and grandchildren about His mighty hand (Exo. 10:1-2). Exodus 12:12 tells us, though, another reason for these plagues: “I am Yahweh; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt.”
The “gods” of Egypt were numerous, but as we saw in yesterday’s devotion, they were no match for Yahweh. Their sun god could not keep them from darkness, and none of their supposed “gods” could protect them from the judgment on the firstborn. As Egypt echoed with cries of grief over death that affected every family — “there was a loud wailing throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead” (Exo. 12:30), their grief betrayed the impotence of their gods to protect them. God would judge their gods by revealing just how powerless they really were.
What does this truth say to us today? How we must grieve over, pray for, and go to the peoples of the world who follow false gods so they might know about the one and only true God! Billions of people cling to gods who have no power, and these same people will face judgment someday apart from their hearing and receiving the good news of Jesus. For us to receive God’s grace and keep it to ourselves is to reveal a selfishness that should never mark a follower of Jesus.
ACTION STEPS: Consider these steps today:
- Learn about and pray for an unreached people group. Check out the group listed on the home page at www.chucklawless.com.
- Pray now for missionaries you know. If you don’t know any, go to www.imb.org and learn about some.
- If you don’t grieve over a lost world, ask God to give you His heart for the world.
- If you’ve sensed a call to missions service, talk to a pastor or friend today. Take the first steps in that direction.
PRAYER: “Father, break me over the billions who follow false gods today. Make me open to going to the nations so they might hear the gospel.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Exodus 13-15
