God knew that Pharaoh would not listen. So even though he rocked the nation by destroying their water supply and commercial fishing, Pharaoh simply went inside his palace and ignored the plague. His magicians were able to prepare an illusion that looked the same, so this must all be a parlor trick—right? When one refuses to see God’s hand and plan in the world, it simply does not matter how obvious God is—He will be ignored.
Pharaoh did not want to see or admit he had to submit to God, He was willing to let his people die of thirst rather, than to admit he was beaten. It is that type of pride that always and ultimately leads to the downfall of one that fails to honor God.
In our lives and our culture, we are faced daily with opportunities to see God at work. When we believe, His works are amazing and frequent. When we refuse, we ignore the Lord and soon can’t see His work that is done before our very eyes—parlor tricks. If we seek God with our hearts, He will reveal His greatness to us. If we pray, He will listen. But, if we ignore Him, soon we will be unable to recognize some amazing things God sends our way, and we will be destroyed by the very things we should amaze us.
God Bless You
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”
19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels[a] of wood and stone.”
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.
Walking With God 