Now the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land. I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” Then the Lord did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt. Exodus 8:20-24 NASB
I grew up on the edge of the Corona-Norco border. Some think that mascot for Norco High is ‘the Cougars’. And it is. But, visiting schools would joke and say our mascot is the ‘fly’… because the horse ranches and dairy farms produced flies that were everywhere in the summer. It seemed like the flies didn’t cross over into Corona very far, if at all.
God struck the Egyptians with a plague of flies. God is able to protect His own from harm and disasters, but He doesn’t always do it. The rain does fall on the just and unjust. But, here- God causes the flies to only be a problem for the Egyptians, not the Israelite’s in the land of Goshen. In a sense, you could say God was Lord… even of the flies. (Lol, I know that’s a reference to Beelzebub, please don’t take offense) What is apparent is that God is sovereign and He will keep His promises to the faithful follower.
What has God allowed to befall me and others (eg. wildfires by lightning strikes)? What has God protected me from (eg. Corona Virus)?
God, as this day begins- I have been praying through the night for a family who lost their son. May I be a comfort and pastor who connects them with You, the source of comfort beyond understanding. Oh they need you. The worst plague has befallen them. May You meet them where they are. Thank you for Your divine protection in my life. It is undeserved, but greatly appreciated.
