A Frog In The Kettle
| The sound of croaking frogs filled the air. The stench of thousands of dying frogs was overpowering. They hopped through yards, filled the wells and water supply, jumped across their beds, and covered their floors like a slimy green carpet. Frogs were everywhere - hopping into ovens and jumping out of the kettles in Pharaoh’s kitchen. God has a way of getting our attention and, sometimes, He does so in a dramatic and humorous way. Moses had delivered God’s message to Pharaoh of Egypt – “Let my people go.” |
God then proceeded to send ten plagues against Egypt to convince Pharaoh to release the Jews from slavery. The second plague was a swarm of frogs covering the land and homes of Egypt (Exodus 58).
Pharaoh agreed to let the Jews go but later hardened his heart and refused. Not until the last and most severe plague, the death of the firstborn male in every household, did he finally release them from bondage. Only the Jewish households who in obedience and faith applied the mark of blood over their doorposts were spared the Angel of Death.
Yes, God has many times used simple things to teach us a lesson. It could be the ant, grasshopper, rock badger, or lizard. (See Proverbs 30:24-28.) It could be the donkey that talked, the lilies of the field, a common sparrow, or a frog.
The frog can be a very important reminder. When you see a frog in your kettle, remember this acronym of the word FROG – Fully Rely On God.
F – stands for “fully” rely on God’s power and provision to help you. The ancient Egyptians worshipped a host of gods. The sun, moon, snakes, crocodile, and frog were some of their objects of worship. God had the power to send the plague of frogs and He had the power to remove them. (See Exodus 8:8-15.) Are you fully relying on God? David said, “O God, our ancestors have told us all you did in days long ago. It was by your mighty power that they succeeded. It was because you favored them and smiled on them. Only by your power can we push back our enemies. Only in your name can we trample our foes” (Psalm 44:1-8 NLT).
R – stands for “rely” on God. David affirmed, “I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. It is you who gives me victory over my enemies” (Psalm 44:6-8 NLT). To fully “rely” on God is to trust Him alone.
After the Israelites left Egypt, they faced the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army was closing in on them. When Moses trusted and obeyed God and stepped into the water, God parted the Red Sea so that they passed over on dry ground. Pharaoh’s pursuing army, chariots, and horses were drowned. They sang a new song of deliverance to the Lord. (See Exodus 14 and 15.)
We must full “rely on God for salvation and righteousness. We have none of our own. We rely on Christ’s righteousness and redemption purchased by His death on the cross for us. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1, 2). As the Hebrews relied on the blood of the lamb painted over their doorways by faith to save them when the Angel of Death passed over the land, so we must rely on the blood of God’s lamb – Jesus – to save us. (See Isaiah 53.)
In the story of “The Princess and the Frog”, the princess kissed the frog and it turned back into a handsome prince. Jesus came to earth to kiss us with mercy and grace as he hung on the cross as our sacrifice.
O – stands for “on”. Fully rely “on” God! It makes a great difference in what or whom you rely on. You can rest on God. His glory “kabob” is weighty or heavy. “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you” (Psalm 37:5 TLT). To commit is to put your weight on. He is the rock of refuge in the storm. Are you on the Rock?
An old hymn by Augustus M. Toplady and Thomas Hastings is “Rock of Ages”. “Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee. Let the water and the blood from, Thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure.” The second verse goes, “Could my tears forever flow, could my zeal no languor know, these for sin could not atone, Thou must save and Thou alone. In my hand no price I bring, simply to The cross I cling.” Are you standing on the Rock of Ages?
G – stands for “God”. God revealed Himself to Moses and to Pharaoh as “I am that I am”. God is whatever you need – the God of the now.
God is love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Is there a frog in your kettle? Whatever you are going through, remember Fully Rely On God and He will see you through.
