So the contest between God and Pharaoh begins. The first of the Ten famous plagues renders the water in the important Nile river undrinkable.
The historian says God instructs Moses to poke his staff into the river, and the water turns into blood. There are two proposals as to what happens. First, the water actually turns into blood. Second, the water turns red - perhaps with a red algae which depletes the oxygen in the water. Either way, the water is undrinkable.
But that's just beginning of the dominos falling. Since fish can't "breathe" the water either, the entire river turns into one stinky mess. It is an environmental disaster of epic proportion.
Pharaoh's reaction is interesting. He gets his magicians to dulplicate the "trick" with stored water in a jar - as if to say "I can't do this too." And as soon as his magicians reproduces red water, Pharaoh reasserts that God is no one he needs to pay heed to.
For a whole week, everyone in Egypt work like a slave digging for water.
Write
Think about your faith story: how have you experienced God using showing himself through unusual circumstances?
Presently, where in your life - what relationships or circumstances, is God showing himself through unusual circumstances?
Who do you know is working hard coping with unusual circumstances?
Pray
What
is God saying to you today? What's Good News to you?
Talk to God about the way he goes to all lengths to get your attention. Thank God for the way he persists in communicating with you.
Pray about the unusual circumstances in your life. Ask God for the help you need, the reassureance of his presence, and the courage to decipher what he is telling you.
Pray for your friend who is struggling to cope with the circumstances in their life. Ask God to show you how you can come along side and support your friend..
Pray for an experience of God's love, grace and mercy in the way he shows himself, even through difficult circumstances, in his plan to deliver you from enslaving things.