Caffeinated Crunchy Christian Moms

Read: Exodus 5-8

As we read Exodus 5 through 8 today, we start to see the plagues unfold as God is calling the Israelites out of Egypt. Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, and even when Moses and Aaron go to him and say:

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go…’”
-Exodus 5:1

There is resistance. Not just hesitation, but a refusal to listen. Kinda like my toddler, haha.

What stood out to me this time was how Pharaoh’s magicians were able to imitate some of the signs. They replicated certain acts, almost as if to prove that what Moses and Aaron were doing wasn’t that significant or special. It immediately made me think about how later in Scripture, we are warned about deception and about things that look real, that seem convincing but are not from God.

In the New Testament, we are told clearly:

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive …” -Matthew 24:24

Not everything that looks powerful is from God. Not everything that seems impressive is truth. If we are not rooted in Him, it would be easy to be led astray. Getting distracted and fooled by the smoke and mirrors. Even now, in a world full of distractions, noise, and things that can imitate what is real, like AI, it becomes that much more important to stay grounded in God’s Word. To know His voice and recognize His truth. Deception doesn’t always look obvious and can be like a snake in the grass.

What’s powerful is that eventually, even the magicians couldn’t keep up.

“This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said. -Exodus 8:19

There comes a point where what is real cannot be replicated. Just like unnatural images or glitches in AI. The power of God stands alone. Yet, even then, Pharaoh still refused to soften his heart.

We also see something else in these chapters that feels just as important. When the Israelites are being worked harder and treated more harshly, Moses himself cries out to God:

“Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?” -Exodus 5:22

Moses, who was chosen, called, and walked closely with God, still asked why. I really think that matters. Sometimes we assume that strong faith means never questioning. But throughout Scripture, we see that even those closest to God wrestled with understanding. Moses did. Job did. Jesus did. There are many moments where people are trying to make sense of what God is doing.

There is something very human about wanting to understand. But there is also something deeply faithful about continuing to trust when we don’t have that understanding. We see this echoed again in the New Testament, not just in the warning of deception, but in the promise of what is to come. That one day, everything that feels confusing now will be made clear because Jesus will return.

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels…” -Matthew 16:27

We are not meant to have full understanding right now. We are not meant to see the whole picture. That is where trust comes in. Even going back to the beginning, after Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humanity became aware of both good and evil, but not all-knowing. Not sovereign. Definitely not God.

We see pieces, we feel things deeply, we question, we wrestle, but we don’t know it all and that’s okay. While we may not get full understanding, we are given something greater. We are given love, grace, and the promise of eternity with Him.

So yes, we may ask why. We may not always understand what God is doing or why He allows certain things. But we can find peace in knowing that we are not meant to carry that understanding. Only to trust the One who does.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever struggled with something and found yourself asking God why?
2. In an AI world, how can you stay rooted in truth?

Connect with the Author

LinkTree

A Note from the Author