Misplaced Respite

But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

Exodus 8:15 ESV

Two plagues into the Egypt vs God confrontation, we find that Egypt became overrun with frogs. When I say “overrun”, I mean they were everywhere. They were not only outside bouncing around on the street, but in people’s beds, food, and even ovens. Yes, the frogs were in people’s homes. Unless you really like kissing frogs, it was a totally disgusting situation. The Pharaoh called Moses and asked God to provide some relief because he didn’t want to live like that. Moses prayed and God gave the land relief– the frogs all died.

Two things we want to learn from Pharaoh as a leader:

1. Respite is not always a good thing

2. Being closed minded about a decision can be catastrophic

The reason respite is not always is a good thing is because sometimes at the end of an adrenaline rush that allowed us to see the end of a bad situation and circumstance, causes us to misplace our trust in our own ability. Notice when I recapped the story, Pharaoh did not do anything to bring respite. It was granted to him.

Yes, entering a time of relief is a good thing, but if that relief comes with a false sense of security, then you are setting yourself up for failure. The lesson here is that when we receive relief, we need to understand where the relief is coming from and place our trust appropriately. To learn more about how we can place our trust appropriately in times of crisis, read my devotional, “Dare to Trust” from 2013.

The frogs were only the second of ten plagues to devastate Egypt. Pharaoh, if he were willing to be open minded, could have had an opportunity to avoid eight additional plagues. But that is the way we act sometimes in leadership, isn’t it? We double or triple down on a decision and that is when we fail and fall.

We need to be open minded through our decisions. It would behoove us not to be level headed and listen to reason. Here is what we need to understand about this story with Pharaoh — he had advisors and he had people he could have listened to with certain expertise in the particular area of hardship he was facing (in this case, that was Moses, who was prophetically speaking with God, and who personally had a relationship with Pharaoh), but he refused to listen to them. This is stupid stubbornness and a bad leadership practice.

Don’t misplace your trust in empty things and people just because you’re living in a period of respite. Place your trust in God. Be open minded to the advice he is giving you through the people you trust in your life who have gone through things and will help lend you perspective you need when you have respite between your hardships and struggles.