LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
 
Sunday 19th April 2026

PHARAOH’S HEART

Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. *Exodus 7:22–23*_
 
As had happened in the turning of Aaron’s rod into a serpent, Pharaoh called his magicians to respond to the plague. The magicians mimicked what God had done.
 
To Pharaoh, all of this was a power contest. In so far as his magicians could replicate any of the signs of Moses and Aaron, he grew more and more intransigent.
 
Note that Pharaoh’s magicians could not stop what Moses and Aaron had done. If they were more powerful, they would have reversed the condition of the waters of Egypt and returned them to their normal state. They couldn’t reverse the plague.
 
They actually made the plague worse. Think about it! The magicians of Egypt worsened the already bad state of the waters. They likely went to the water that had not been touched by Moses and Aaron and turned them into blood. What would have been left of the waters after Moses and Aaron had turned them to blood were also turned to blood, further complicating the predicament of Egypt at the time.
 
This shows how demonic entities operate. They can mimic the work of God but they can’t give life to anyone. They do not have the power to give life or make things better. They only make things worse where ever they are welcomed and allowed to operate. Only God can take a life that is plagued and bring it back to life. For seven days, the waters of Egypt were in a bad state until the Lord restored them to their original state.
 
God alone is able to restore and make good, things that have gone bad.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, open my eyes to the deception of the enemy. You are my restorer and life giver. In Jesus’ name, Amen!