S38P4 – God’s miraculous power for today: The Staff and the Serpent

Exodus 7:10-12

So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and did just as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, these magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts and enchantments. For every man threw down his staff and they turned into serpents; but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

The power of the enemy rests in illusions and counterfeits. This is what causes people to believe that truth is relative and that right and wrong are a matter of opinion. Illusions take an abomination and present it as love. They convince us that vengeance is fine in certain circumstances, and we can be justified in withholding compassion. Yet, if we take that which is counterfeit and scrutinize it by placing it next to that which is authentic, we begin to see the difference. The enemy can present to us any number of his versions of God’s attributes, but he will be found out by the wise and discerning mind. God himself gives his children the discernment necessary to know the difference. He, through his Holy Spirit, is grooming us to be authenticators of that which is right and true.

If we learn anything from this passage, it is that God’s power cannot be replicated. It cannot be matched. When a false prophet comes along to try to get us to stray, we should be discerning enough to know that what he carries is not of God. The false prophet’s words are like these serpents. He may speak them and cause us to look on in awe and wonder, stirred by emotion, but those words cannot stand against God’s truth. When that is spoken, it devours and nullifies what the false prophet has said. God’s word of light exposes the dark lies of those who are his enemies. The wolves who roam around seeking sheep to devour can only do so in darkness. This is why it is so critical to measure every word against the words of God. When we do this, we hold everything up to God’s standard and allow it to be exposed for what it is. The miracle is in God’s light showing us that which is actually rooted in darkness.

There are many deceptions in this world that can be dismissed easily by even those who are not necessarily spiritually mature yet. For example, scripture is clear that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. There is no other way. When we are presented with numerous ways to God, we know that they are false. Other deceptions are not so obvious. Regardless, we hold these all up against the same standard. When we earnestly seek to know the truth of God, that truth exposes the lies that try to mislead us. This may even happen in conversation that becomes confrontation. We must be prepared to stand our ground and defend the truth of God so that our spoken words inspired by God will devour the lies before us. Father, thank You for illuminating the deceptions that seek to destroy us, and give us the wisdom and discernment to hold all things up to your standard.