DCLM Daily Manna 15 February 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Heart First
TOPIC: Heart First
TEXT: Exodus 7:14-25 (KJV)
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.
16 And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
17 Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.
19 And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.
23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.
24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord had smitten the river.
KEY VERSE: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.” – (Exodus 7:14)
MESSAGE:
“The farthest place on earth”, so goes an adage, “is the heart of man”. If it were possible to dissect the heart so that everyone can see what is hidden therein, they will be shocked to see unimaginable things. The heart is the most vital part of the human body. As several commentators have noted, “When we go to heaven, we will go heart-first and not head-first”. This saying underscores the importance of the heart in our relationship with God.
Today’s passage illustrates that God knows all hearts. Before the Lord sent Moses to request that Pharaoh let Israel go, He knew the state of Pharaoh’s heart; that it was hardened. The first plague of turning the waters of Egypt into blood did not soften his heart; instead, he turned and went into his house and refused to let Israel go (Exodus 7:23).
These days, people seem to engage more in outward show of religion, but their hearts are far from God than ever. A heart set on a multiplicity of pursuit and goals, drawn apart by diverse issues of earthly cares cannot find the peace to offer a consecrated and committed service to God. Neither will that heart be able to find the needed time for the old time religion that leads to real salvation.
God desires that our hearts be filled with sacred affection and love. Our emotions, purposes, thoughts and mind should unite in surrendered devotion to God. He will reward those who sincerely seek Him with all their hearts. However, He is far from mere professors of religion who keep their hearts away from Him.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
A hardened heart attracts affliction.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 15-18
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
