November 15

Three Walls


“Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the Lord that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”

Exodus 5:2 (NLT)


Pharaoh and his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Leave us!” he cried. "Go away, all of you! Go and serve the Lord as you have requested."

Exodus 12:30-31 (NLT)


The human will can be a very strong thing. It is a wall. The third and perhaps strongest wall within our hearts, it prevents action. Whether it is in trusting Christ, or mending a broken relationship, or righting a wrong, the will must be won over. This is the third wall, but there are others.

There is the barrier of emotion: “I don’t like you, so I won’t listen!” Then there is the intellectual obstacle: “That’s absurd! It doesn’t make sense.” Each of these can be a barrier as hard to overcome as stubborn Pharaoh. Interesting: the emotional wall is best scaled by relationship, the intellectual wall with reason and understanding, but to overcome the will requires freedom, time and perhaps an act of God.

For Pharaoh's hardened heart, the walls of emotion, intellect and will were all overcome one dark and terrible night. Horrible. Terrifying. Pharaoh accepted God’s will and took action only after God took a life from every Egyptian family ... including Pharaoh’s son's life. Think about what God wants you to do. Then consider this: what will it take to convince you?


Father, open our hearts to truth. Take away the emotional, intellectual and willful barriers in our hearts. Show us Your good will and help us take action. Amen.