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
Exodus 8: 9-10 always makes me stop and ponder why in the world Pharaoh would choose to spend one more night with the plague of frogs when he had the chance to get rid of them immediately. Can you imagine having frogs overtaking your land and home and choosing to spend one more night living like that?
The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.
Exodus 8: 3-4
It’s easy to look at Pharaoh and think about how silly it was for him to decide to sleep with the frogs overtaking his bed for another night, but how many of us choose to live with uncomfortable things we put off dealing with? While we may not have a plague of frogs overtaking our homes and beds, we often choose to exist with destructive habits, irrational fears, or insecurities that can be as miserable as a plague of frogs.
Perhaps we harbor bitterness and need to seek forgiveness from someone and don’t. Maybe we lie awake all night worrying instead of taking our cares to the Lord in prayer. Maybe we have a destructive and sinful habit we need to break free from but we keep thinking, “Tomorrow, I will deal with ____.”
I’ve struggled with emotional eating for many years and I was a master at putting off dealing with my unhealthy addiction until tomorrow. I would always wait until the first of the month or a Monday to start eating better. If it was close to the holidays, I would often decide to wait until the new year arrived. Then I would binge eat for days before my scheduled start date, which only left me feeling sick and miserable and gaining more weight. It was a destructive pattern and one that I still have to battle with at times.
Sometimes we can become so comfortable living with our “plagues” that we aren’t aware of the seriousness of the problem. However, complacency can be dangerous. Choosing to remain where we are may feel comfortable but it can actually be the very thing that’s wrecking our life.
No matter what uncomfortable situation you are dealing with, waiting until tomorrow to address the issue is simply prolonging the misery. Why not go to the Lord in prayer and ask him to free you from the “plague” that’s afflicting your life? If it’s a sin, confess it. If it’s worry or fear, ask the Lord for peace. If you’re uncertain about a decision you need to make, ask the Lord for guidance. The Lord hears our pleas for help, but we have to take that step of faith and reach out to him.
I will lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalms 121: 1-2
Is there a situation in your life that you’ve been putting off dealing with until another day? Like Pharaoh, will you choose to spend another night with the frogs or ask the Lord to set you free?
