The Presidential Prayer Team

The Lord has made everything for his purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. – Proverbs 16:4

When reading about the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, you may wonder about the phrase, “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” This may seem counterintuitive. God is merciful and good and not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). It’s difficult to imagine God hardening someone’s heart when He is the One who usually softens them. He takes hearts of stone and turns them into hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

As today’s verse states, He even uses the acts of the wicked for His purpose. God has the macro view, far beyond the ability of humans to see the big picture. He saw the suffering of the Israelites at the hands of the Egyptians. When Moses began the process of speaking to Pharaoh to let God’s people go, things initially got worse for the Hebrew slaves. But the Lord used the whole scenario of the ten plagues to mightily deliver His people. Through the desert wanderings, though the Hebrews doubted His presence and rebelled, if they looked at the facts, they could not deny that God was the One who brought them out of Egypt.

Today, you may wonder what’s going on with the United States government. Sometimes, like Pharaoh’s hardened heart, things may not seem to make sense. Trust the God who has the macro view and can see the whole picture. None of this is surprising to Him. The Lord sees the beginning and the end (Isaiah 46:10; Revelation 21:6). Regardless of the circumstances, the Heavenly Father desires His children to set their affection on Him, rather than on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). Pray for governing officials to receive God’s wisdom to make right decisions in accordance with His plan for the United States.

Today’s Verse: Proverbs 16:4

The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Colossians 3:1-17

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

¹²Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.