“How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?” Exodus 10:3. God’s question to Pharaoh before the plague of locusts. Even Pharaoh’s officials question why he won’t realize Egypt is ruined! v. 7. Yet, Pharaoh refuses to humble himself and tries to dictate to God the terms of who would leave. His country is ruined and he is still trying to control God. Do we do that? I do. Even in prayer I try to tell God exactly how to do something….do it this way! Even when I sense my spiritual life is not good, I try to tell God what to do. Increasingly, I’m beginning to realize how much I need to let God be God; for me and for those I love and importantly, for every person.

In the commentary below it listed the gods Egyptians worshiped: Hapi, the god of the Nile River, Hathor, the crafty cow-goddess, Amon-Re, the sun god and chief of Egyptian gods; not one of them came to the aid of Pharaoh. How could they? Yet, the Creator God Himself is actively working in Egypt and Pharaoh resists humbling himself. God’s power? So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. v. 13-14. And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. v. 18-19.

No change in Pharaoh’s heart. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt – darkness that can be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. v. 21-23. Can you imagine that kind of darkness that can be felt and that it lasted 3 days? Utter darkness. There have been times when I have felt a darkness in my soul. Always it’s when I have felt cut off from God. My thoughts turn inward and away from God and there is darkness and emptiness. God never left me…I left Him. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18.

In my prayer time after reading a Chapter of Scripture, I can sometimes imagine walking along a stream with beautiful plants on either side. It is so peaceful there. This morning He reminded me we walk together and He is with me by that stream. He asked me to trust that He is with me always. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. John 14:20-21. Jesus’s promise to His disciples and to you and me.

Because of Pharaoh’s hardness of heart, his unwillingness to humble himself before the Creator of all that is, Egypt was plunged into total darkness. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:11-12. The darkness was oppressive and frightening to the Egyptians just as the darkness we experience when we feel alone frightens us…but God was there and He is with us. He was in control then just as He is in control now.

I try to understand the mindset of Pharaoh or any human who thinks they are greater than God. Isn’t that what it boils down to? I know better than God? I want my way so I don’t obey anyone? I guess Pharaoh thought he ruled the world and that he knew better. Do we think to obey God is to be a slave to God? God doesn’t want slaves. He is proving that in these Chapters of Exodus. He wants to free a people enslaved and it will happen. He wants to free us from the slavery of sin and that, too, will happen. Pharaoh wanted to control people. God wants to love us and have us love Him and each other. He wants relationship with us. Who would you rather humble yourself to and obey? When it comes to God, humble and obey are not bad words for me. I can’t make the east wind or the west wind blow or even create a puff of wind. I can’t make total darkness appear for 3 days but I sure can create it within my own soul when I let fear take hold. Then God who I love above all things reminds me: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20. Does that sound like enslavement? Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom to live loved and to love as God loves us if we allow our hearts to open to His truth. Hardened hearts or humble thankfulness for all He does for us every moment.

If you have never read the book The Shack by Paul Young, it is so worth reading. One of my favorite parts is when God (Papa) is talking to Mackenzie. “Mackenzie, the truth shall set you free and the truth has a name; he’s over in the woodshop right now covered in sawdust. Everything is about him. And freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him. Then all that stuff you feel churnin’ around inside will start to work its way out.” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5. One day Pharaoh will know the Truth and he will be loved and love deeply in return because it’s God’s love that teaches us how important and vital love is. And freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him. Take His hand. He’s there.