What does how I eat have to do with Pharaoh? 🙂

When I read Scripture and notice in a short section that there are words or phrases repeated,  I take note. Maybe God has something for me there.

 

Monday morning, in Exodus 7, I noticed a few of these repetitions (they continue in subsequent chapters of Exodus, too):

“Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded.”
“Pharaoh’s heart became hard.”
“[Pharaoh] would not listen to them.”

All three off these were responses to the voice of God. God spoke directly to Moses and Aaron. And God spoke to Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron. 

1. First and foremost, God speaks to people! I am in awe of this. He still does today!

In fact, anyone who is in Christ has the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit convicts us regarding sin and righteousness (John 16). Thin Within depends on this fact. When we decide to “follow” Thin Within, we see that we don’t need external rules and regulations for our eating. If we stop and are still long enough to listen to what God says to us through the Spirit we will sense a conviction in our hearts about our eating. This may help us to know if we are really hungry, if it is a need that can’t be met physically, or if a food we are considering eating (even when hungry) is going to adequately fuel our bodies or just gratify a craving of our taste buds. Countless times throughout the day, we can focus our attention on the Lord and his revealing of his will to us by the voice of his Spirit in our hearts.

2. Secondly, when I sense God speaking to me through His Spirit, I choose my response. My response may be like one of those seen in Exodus 7.

  • I can do “just as the Lord commanded.”
  • I can harden my heart.
  • I can refuse to listen.

When I minimize the significance of my choice to eat something or not, I am potentially hardening my heart and refusing to listen to the voice of God.

I am privileged that he speaks to me and that I can know his voice (John 10:27).

I want to do that which the Lord commands each and every time.

Am I like Moses and Aaron? Or am I more like Pharaoh? Pharaoh hardened his heart to the instruction of God. In the seemingly small, “insignificant” moments of life, when the whisper of the Spirit is ever present, do I hearken and obey? Or do I turn a deaf ear and harden my heart? Even in those “small,” seemingly insignificant moments…something hugely significant happens. I can add another layer of a callus to my heart or, I can invite a softening to continue in my heart.

What about you? When you prepare to eat, how can you foster a softened, responsive heart?