Imagine walking into your kitchen and finding a slimy green frog sitting on your counter. At minimum you’d quickly pick up the frog with a paper towel and get it out of your house. At worst you’d freak out and call for backup. Now imagine right after you got rid of that frog, you heard croaking coming from the bedroom. Can you imagine the horror beginning to slowly creep over you? What would you experience if you opened the bedroom door and saw hundreds of slimy green frogs sitting on your bed, underneath your sheets, everywhere? It’s gross to think about, but how many of you at that moment would think, “I’ll take care of them tomorrow, I’m ready for bed”?

In Exodus 8 Moses and Pharaoh are beginning the test of wills that would ultimately lead to freedom for the nation of Israel from Egyptian slavery. God sent ten plagues, each worse than before, as a testament to His divine power over the Egyptian gods. The second plague was the plague of frogs:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” Exodus 8:5

And so they did, invading every home, every kitchen, every bedroom in Egypt. Can you imagine the slime, the smell, the never ending croaking, the complete invasion of your personal sanctuary? But that’s not the most amazing part of the story. That part comes when Moses gives Pharaoh the honor of choosing when the frogs would leave.

Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Exodus 8:9-10

Wouldn’t you want immediate relief? And yet Pharaoh couldn’t bring himself to admit he needed God, so he pushed him off. What was that night like for the Egyptians? Did any of them get any sleep? All because Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he refused to submit to God.

Where in your life are you still harboring pride? What’s an area in your life where you know you need to submit to God but your pride is tripping you up? Don’t let pride postpone what you know you need to do now!

QUESTION: In what area of your life do you need to let go of your pride and submit to God?