if today you hear His voice

CLICK HERE for today's OT reading, and CLICK HERE for the reading from the NT.

In today's selection, we read about Pharaoh refusing, over and over, to let the people of Israel go. God has mercy on him, ten different times, and yet he still refused. In his pride, he "hardened his heart" and would not repent. And we are amazed at this, aren't we? We see the devastation of Egypt by the ten plagues, and it astounds us that Pharaoh would continue to fight against God Himself.

Yet don't we do the same thing? God has given us such great blessings. He has taken care of us. He has healed us from so many sicknesses. If you're reading this now and you're not feeling well, you can still remember all of the previous times that you were sick and you got well. We are all blessed to have enough to eat, and a place to live. He has given us beauty, every day, to enjoy. And so many senses with which to drink it in. He wasn't content to give us beautiful things to look at - He also gave us sounds of the forest, the crashing of waves on the beach, and the rapturous sounds of music to lift our spirits. He's given us delicious foods and sumptuous smells. And so many things to feel... warmth and coolness and wetness and smoothness. Every day we're inundated by all of these blessings... and we take them for granted. We get mad at Him for not giving us some thing that we believe we need to be happy.

Instead, let's soften our hearts. Let's not be like Pharaoh. Let's appreciate the gifts He's given, and instead of demanding things from Him, let's ask, "God, what can we do for You today?"

Then let's listen, and do what He tells us.

God, thanks for giving us the opportunity to learn things the easy way - by seeing what Pharaoh did wrong. Help us to soften our hearts.