In His Grip

First blood. Then frogs. Now gnats and flies. God does not warn Pharaoh this time. Have you ever experienced an attack of Florida “no see-ums?” You know they are on your skin because of the multiple stings each one delivers. No see-ums, as bad as they are, have nothing on the gnats that descended on the Egyptians. This time God unveils the powerlessness and uselessness of the Egyptian priests. Even their magicians concluded that these plagues had to be from the hand of God. One by one, God uses symbolic means to dismantle each god and the false priests of the Egyptian religion. The application for today is profound.

Each plague lasted about seven days, possibly starting on the Sabbath and each one giving time to Pharaoh to repent. To no avail. Each plague strips away another layer of the religion of the Egyptians. In this message Dr. Betters asks, “Why did God send frogs as a plague?” As he unpacks this answer, we are reminded again of how packed with meaning each word in Scripture is. Frogs symbolized a god to the Egyptians and when these frogs descended on Egypt, the people suffered mightily at the hands of their “god.” We watch as God delivers over the Egyptians to the consequences of worshiping other gods. The application to our lives becomes very obvious.

Each plague lasted about seven days, possibly starting on the Sabbath and each one giving time to Pharaoh to repent. To no avail. Each plague strips away another layer of the religion of the Egyptians. In this message Dr. Betters asks, “Why did God send frogs as a plague?” As he unpacks this answer, we are reminded again of how packed with meaning each word in Scripture is. Frogs symbolized a god to the Egyptians and when these frogs descended on Egypt, the people suffered mightily at the hands of their “god.” We watch as God delivers over the Egyptians to the consequences of worshiping other gods. The application to our lives becomes very obvious.

Pharaoh continues to dig in and the plagues continue to force him to recognize that his battle is not against Moses, but against Almighty God, the God of the Israelites. Why did God choose these specific plagues? How did the plagues not only destroy the lives of the Egyptians but also send a spiritual message about their gods? God is always doing something more than we first see.

Pharaoh continues to dig in and the plagues continue to force him to recognize that his battle is not against Moses, but against Almighty God, the God of the Israelites. Why did God choose these specific plagues? How did the plagues not only destroy the lives of the Egyptians but also send a spiritual message about their gods? God is always doing something more than we first see.

Exodus 5 ends on a note of discouragement, fear and doubt. God reassures Moses that no matter how loud Pharaoh roared, God would have the last word and His plans would succeed. IN this message we, too, are reassured by the promises of God and the meaning of His name, El Shaddai, our sustainer and provider. The Israelites are about to learn that God knows them in a personal and intimate way. Through the Exodus they were about to witness His power, might and personal grace. All of this is a picture of the promises of the Covenant. If we know Jesus, these promises are ours as well. The breaking of the shackles of slavery demonstrates the way God breaks the shackles of sin and guilt when we recognize our need for Jesus and surrender to His redemption and love.

Exodus 5 ends on a note of discouragement, fear and doubt. God reassures Moses that no matter how loud Pharaoh roared, God would have the last word and His plans would succeed. IN this message we, too, are reassured by the promises of God and the meaning of His name, El Shaddai, our sustainer and provider. The Israelites are about to learn that God knows them in a personal and intimate way. Through the Exodus they were about to witness His power, might and personal grace. All of this is a picture of the promises of the Covenant. If we know Jesus, these promises are ours as well. The breaking of the shackles of slavery demonstrates the way God breaks the shackles of sin and guilt when we recognize our need for Jesus and surrender to His redemption and love.

The world today is pulsating with agony. Wars, rumors of wars, devastating natural disasters, rampant violence and disregard for the humanity of others contributes to a despair that we are hurtling toward a brutal and chaotic explosion. This is most likely how the Israelites felt about their own personal life of slavery under the brutal Pharaoh. Pharaoh acknowledged that he did not know the God of Moses and would not obey Him. But the Israelites had their own repenting to do and in this message we watch as Moses requests the opportunity to lead the Israelites to a place of sacrifice and atonement for their sins.

The world today is pulsating with agony. Wars, rumors of wars, devastating natural disasters, rampant violence and disregard for the humanity of others contributes to a despair that we are hurtling toward a brutal and chaotic explosion. This is most likely how the Israelites felt about their own personal life of slavery under the brutal Pharaoh. Pharaoh acknowledged that he did not know the God of Moses and would not obey Him. But the Israelites had their own repenting to do and in this message we watch as Moses requests the opportunity to lead the Israelites to a place of sacrifice and atonement for their sins.

How do you find purpose when you are excruciating pain 24/7, survived 7 surgeries and most likely face more? Add to that your status as a double amputee. In this interview, you will meet Warrior Woman Gracie Rosenberger, who was 17 when she was in an almost fatal car accident. In our conversation Gracie freely shares what life and marriage is like with such challenges. Gracie’s story reveals a woman of strength and determination in the face of impossible obstacles. She has become an accomplished snow-skier, has performed as a vocalist before presidents and shared stages with some of America’s biggest stars, singing for hundreds of thousands. Gracie and her husband, Peter, have two sons and co-founded Standing With Hope, a non-profit organization that provides prosthetic limbs to people in Kenya.

For more encouragement from this remarkable woman, purchase Gracie’s book, Gracie, Standing with Hope.
Visit her website, Standing With Hope - standingwithhope.com/