Pharaoh said he would let the people go. Moses gave him the opportunity to decide when Moses would ask God to stop the plague of frogs. Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.” He delayed doing what he knew he should do. Every time Pharaoh delayed, his heart grew harder. In the end, God killed him.
Similarly, the sin in which we dabble destroys us. Whether it’s alcohol, tobacco, sex, gambling, or something else, we know it’s wrong, but we try to convince ourselves that just a little bit once in awhile is okay. Before we realize it, we are trapped. God said, “Stop.” We said, “Tomorrow.”
When we put off obeying God, our heart gets harder. Eventually, we stop listening to him. We move away from God, but he waits for us to turn back to him and ask for his forgiveness and help. When we do that, God shows us mercy and forgives us. Unfortunately, the physical damage the sin has caused to us, or to others, remains, and will always be there to remind us that “a little bit once in awhile” really can hurt.
How do we avoid that hurt? When God says something is wrong, we stop immediately, not tomorrow.
O God, help me always to obey you immediately. Amen.
