Beware of Tadpoles

The Lord did as Moses had said: the frogs in the houses, courtyards, and fields died. - Exodus 8:13

Most of us (whether through film, childhood exposure, or personal bible study) are familiar with the story of Moses, Egypt, the plagues, and the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. In order to bring about the release of His covenant people (and to prove His power), God brought all manner of pestilence upon the Egyptians who had rejected Him, including the concluding plague of death upon all their first-born.

One of the earlier manifestations of divine displeasure was a plague of frogs. The slimy boogers were everywhere and such a nuisance that Pharaoh relented concerning his opposition to Israel's departure (at least, temporarily), the plague ended, and the "live" frogs were replaced by "dead" ones. Unfortunately, for Egypt at least, the improvement probably seemed minuscule.

Such is the typical after-effect of a hard-headed rebellion when followed by a hypocritical repentance. In such cases, as it was with Egypt, the croaking irritation of conviction is only replaced by the rotting stench of a rejected grace. While God may not fill your house with frogs, it is probably best not to resist Him past the first appearance of tadpoles.

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. - Abraham Lincoln