Have you ever found yourself facing situations where you felt like God was directing you to or away from something. Perhaps you prayed even a simple prayer for God to do something in your life. At times when I have prayed for something, God may answer “yes” or he may answer “no” or he may answer “not the way you want, but my way” or even “not right now”. He does not always answer with words or miracles. Sometimes he just blocks our path as we keep trying to find a way to accomplish our own desires… having convinced ourselves that God must want it for us too.
I have experienced this more than a few times in my life. I have an answer in mind and pray for help. Then I proceed to ignore every improbable barrier that comes in my path, each time convincing myself that God wants to give me the answer I already identified. Sometimes He is giving me a clear answer and I just refuse to listen. In fact, He often seems to be “closing certain doors” and “opening others” I had not even considered or had chosen against. Pharaoh had a similar problem with a hard heart, refusing to acknowledge God and the will of God despite many miraculous wonders.
The Plague of Insects
16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. 19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
20Now the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21“For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell. 22“But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. 23“I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” 24Then the LORD did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.
25Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? 27“We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” 28Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me.” 29Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”
30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. 31The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not one remained. 32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.
Each time you pray, challenge yourself to try to look for what God wants you to do, rather than what you want to do. Identify your bias and try to guard against it. Test what you want to do against scripture for guidance and pray for God to help you find His path rather than your own. Then be open to the prompting God provides to lead you and guide you. He will not always send gnats and flies. Sometimes He is much more subtle. When you ask for God’s help, take special care you do not dismiss His answer when He gives it.
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