August 7, 2025 Morning Devotional

Morning Devotion: Read Exodus - Hail and Fire from God

Exodus 9:22  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 23  And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24  So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25  And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 26  Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. 27  And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28  Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. 29  And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD’S. 30  But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God. 31  And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. 32  But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up. 33  And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. 34  And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35  And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

It is an amazing thing to see a storm front move into an area and watch it rain on one side of the road and not the other. You can see the rain drenching the ground only a few feet away while you remain dry and comfortable. The same thing happened with Moses and Pharaoh and the land of Goshen. God sent hail and fire to all of Egypt and let the land of Goshen remain without hail and fire and loss of crops. God protected His people.

Imagine the hail pummelling the homes and yards and animals and the crops that were newly bolled in the fields and then fire burning everything. Fire and Water mixed together!

Pharaoh saw this and it moved his heart. “And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.”

Pharaoh had had enough; he was brought to place where he realized God was righteous and he was a sinner.

How many times has there been men and women who because of life’s trials and struggles have had enough and their plight caused them to turn to the Lord for help? How many times has that same person, once the issue was resolved, turned away from God and returned back to their old ways.

Just like Pharaoh, they saw that God was righteous and all powerful and turned to Him for help. But, when the everything cooled down they rejected God.

We call that spare tire Christianity, when trouble comes, whether it be sickness or accident or finances or any kind of trouble, then people turn to God for help and ask others to pray for them. They take God out of the trunk like a spare tire, when the trouble is over they put God back in the trunk and go on as if nothing ever happened.

True to form, when Moses stretched forth his hands the hail and fire ceased and Pharaoh, because he saw the trouble was over, returned to his old self and hardened his heart.

“And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.”

Are you a God user? Are you like Pharaoh, deep down inside you know you are a sinner and that God is righteous, yet, you want nothing to do with God until you need Him; you call on others to pray for you when you are in trouble and later you harden your heart and forget God?

Instead, when you realize you are a sinner and that God is righteous, would you call upon the Lord yourself and trust Jesus to save your soul? Would you turn from sin and turn to Jesus?

The choice is still yours,

Pastor Cook