Bitter Frogs

Bitter frogs?

You might be thinking, “Do frogs taste bitter?” Is that what Jessica is talking about today? Haha!

Nope! I have no idea what frogs taste like…thankfully! But hopefully by the end of this post, you’ll understand what I mean by “Bitter Frogs”.

First, let me tell you a story.

Back in the days of Moses, God’s people had been enslaved to Egypt for 400 years. The Lord heard their cries and sent Moses to deliver them. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him that God wanted him to let His people go. But what did Pharaoh say? – No!  His heart was hard.

So, the Lord began the plagues upon Egypt that we all have heard about in Sunday school. The plague that struck me this week, was the Plague of the Frogs. Due to the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart, God called millions of frogs to come out of the river and up into people’s homes, ovens, kneading bowls, beds, streets…everywhere! Can you imagine? The noise…the lack of sleep…the smell…the slime…the squish beneath your feet as you tried to walk around. Ugh!

What’s so interesting about this story is that to the Egyptian, the frog was considered sacred. It was against the law to intentionally kill them. So, the people were at the mercy of the frogs and there was nothing they could do about them. The frog represented the goddess Heqt who symbolized fertility. But, frogs in such a “fertile” supply brought only frustration, dismay, lack of sleep, discomfort and terror.

So, Moses and Aaron went up again to Pharaoh and asked for him to let God’s people go. And guess what he said?

“Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” (Exodus8:8)

Great! No more frogs, right!!? The people are going to go free, right?!

This is the crazy part. When Moses asked Pharaoh when he’d like God to take the frogs away, guess what Pharaoh said??

“Tomorrow.” (Exodus 8:10) TOMORROW?!!

Why not “NOW!” or “THIS SECOND!”

What struck me in the heart this week was how many times I’ve said to God, “Tomorrow”!

“Tomorrow I’ll get up early and read my Bible.”

“Tomorrow I’ll ask for forgiveness.”

“Tomorrow I’ll forgive that person.”

“Tomorrow I’ll visit that shut in or bring that needy family a meal.”

“Tomorrow I’ll spend time with my kids.”

“Tomorrow I’ll go to church or biblestudy.”

“Tomorrow I won’t work so many hours.”

“Tomorrow I’ll get help for my addiction.”

“Tomorrow I’ll__________.”

What has God called you to do today that you are waiting for tomorrow to accomplish…and by waiting, you are sitting in frustration, anguish, sorrow, and a down right smelly mess?

What sin are you trying to protect that needs to be killed? The Egyptians “cherished” the frogs so much that instead of killing them and dealing with them harshly, they protected them and they became a horrible, horrible problem that infected everything.

Why do we wait? Perhaps we are hoping something will magically fix everything so we don’t have to own up to the mess we’ve caused. Perhaps we fool ourselves into thinking “It’s not that bad!” Yet, the longer the bitter frogs of sin hang around, the harder and harder our hearts will grow. And the longer the pain will continue.

For me, it’s forgiveness. I need to forgive someone…not just a little.  Completely.

Oh goodness!  All of us can be so stinky sometimes!! We get hurt and offended SO easily. And for some reason, I tend to enjoy holding onto it. But God says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt 5:44)

Not tomorrow, but today. Right now. Completely, honestly, whole heatedly.

But you might be saying (like me), “They don’t deserve it. I just want to sit in my smelly situation, stuck in the muck, wallowing in my despair and hurt.” I know! I’ve been there. I’ve been hurt deeply in my life and have sat in my own smelly unforgiving attitude for years! WHY!? Why do we do that for it steals our joy!

Sin. It’s bitter. It’s ugly. It entangles our lives and blinds us. Which is why we need to deal with it today so it doesn’t hurt us and our families tomorrow. Whether we “feel” like it or not.

What happened to Pharaoh? His heart grew so hard, that even with all the signs and wonders God brought him to show him His exceeding power, he continued to say no to God. And, eventually, his household was scarred with disease, his crops were destroyed, his livestock was killed, his son died and all of his armies were washed away in the Red Sea. Wow! Utter destruction.

For what? Because he just didn’t want to. It was simply hardness of heart. He didn’t “feel” like obeying.

Notice that God didn’t tell Pharaoh he had to get rid of the frogs?! I love that!!! God was going to do the work…but when Pharaoh was ready. God had the power to do it yet He waited, because He’s the perfect gentlemen.

It’s like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). The son cherished money, women, clothing, feasting…everything the world had to offer. But then it became bitterness to him, sorrow to him and landed him right in the pig pen. Yet, to change his situation, all he had to do was get up, and return to the Father. And when he finally got around to doing that, guess what happened?!

Guess who was waiting for him? Guess who RAN down the hill to greet him? Guess who clothed him with beautiful clothes and fed him amazing food? Guess who restored him back to his rightful place and gave him an inheritance?

The Father.

Not because the son did anything to deserve it. In fact…he didn’t deserve it at all! The son had left and spent half the father’s inheritance. But, the son returned…that’s all he had to do to be restored. He softened his heart, got up from the pig pen and began walking home. And the Father took care of the rest.

What if the son sat there forever? What if he stayed in that pig pen because he didn’t feel worthy or because he was angry at the situation or because he couldn’t see past his own failure? He would have died there. Dirty, defeated, lost, bitter and separated from His father. He would have missed out on being restored, loved on, cherished, cared for, forgiven.

What is God asking you to let go of? What does God want to heal you from? What bitterness do you need freedom from? Whatever it is, it’s not worth holding onto anymore…because it will destroy you and those you love…just like Pharaoh.

It doesn’t matter how big it is. God is bigger.

It doesn’t matter how weak you feel. God is stronger.

It doesn’t matter that you can’t see a way out. God’s plans are far more amazing and complex than our puny brains can fathom, and He is powerful. The prodigal son had no idea the blessing that would come from returning to the Father yet he did anyway.

We don’t have to wonder what will happen when we return to our Heavenly Father. God loves you desperately, passionately, fully. There is nothing, NOTHING, that can separate you from His love. He has HUGE blessings in store for you when you return to Him and follow His ways.

How? – you might ask. How do I begin to forgive? How do I get out of this hard situation? How can I feel clean again? It just seems SO hard…so impossible.

It feels impossible, because it is impossible when we do it on our own. It’s not about you. The son didn’t have to work his way back into a rightful place with his father.

It’s Christ. The cross. That is where the power comes from.

“As for you, you were dead (can dead people do anything? – I think not!) in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
(Ephesians 2:1-9)

“But God” – OH, I LOVE that saying.

BUT GOD! He did it all. Like the Father of the prodigal son, Christ gives us new life…He makes us alive and seats us with Him in the heavenly realms. He gives us an inheritance. He clothes us with beauty to show the riches of HIS grace and HIS kindness. It has nothing to do with us. All we have to do is turn and repent and ask Him for help. All we need to have is faith the size of a mustard seed and great, mighty, powerful things will begin to happen in our lives. Mountains will move!

Christ knew we would get entangled in this world. He knew we would have pain and suffering because the world we live in is sick and full of sin. But, because of His great love for us, Christ makes us alive. He gives us victory. He cleans up the yucky, stinky smelly frog slime that messes up our hearts. And all we have to do is come to the cross of Christ and see our Savior hanging there for us, taking on ALL our yucky, stinky slime so that the Father can clothe us with righteousness and beauty and give us an inheritance.

Now, it doesn’t mean everything will immediately be rosy and peachy! Even after God took the frogs away, there was a stench in the land. Sin leaves behind a stench. We experience consequences for our sin here on earth. But eventually the waves of forgiveness, grace and mercy wash away the smell. Our hearts are changed. As we read the Bible and dive into the waters of His holy word, we experience cleansing. Water begins to flow through our lands giving us direction, peace and fruit. Eventually, the stench fades and beauty takes its place. God always brings beauty from ashes when we follow His ways.

So, look to the cross. See the love pouring from Jesus’ head, his side, his hands and feet. See how deeply He forgives you and you will find the power there to deeply forgive others, to move past addictions and let the slime of sin fall to your feet. It is a gift. We didn’t deserve it. There is nothing you can do to get it. You just have to turn, repent, and look to the cross.

There’s power there. There is love there. There is a new life there. There is hope there.

Run.

Get up and leave your pig pen behind. It doesn’t matter how dirty and slimy you are! The Father doesn’t care.

See Him waiting for you with arms open wide ready to wrap you up in His love and forgiveness. He desires to give you a hope and a future. He desires to cover you with peace and give you life everlasting.

Don’t wait until tomorrow.

Go today.

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