Gasp, “I Would Never Do That.”

This is one of the most dramatic showdowns in history. Pharaoh’s advisers are giving him some facts, but Pharaoh doesn’t listen. This is a big deal. I’m sure when Pharaoh was younger, he’d seen someone make a mistake. Like most of us, he would say, “I would never do that.” How do we get to the point that we do something that we say we would never do? It’s incremental. Like the saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” We start small. 

God gave us our consciences to help us with these small areas. It reminds us that we are doing something wrong. We make our choice as to whether we’ll correct our behavior or proceed with the deed. If we correct, our conscience remains clear and strong. If we ignore it, then it’s voice becomes weaker and difficult to hear. Our conscience is not God. He can use it, but it’s actually a part of us. It also can be wrong. It depends on the data that’s informing it. The conscience is like an umpire. We tell it where the strike zone is and it calls it. If the rules change and the strike zone is different, then unless we know about it, the conscience is calling it wrong. So, if we have wrong belief’s, then it’s using wrong data. Like the portion in scripture where Paul talks about eating meat offered to idols. He refers to the conscience. The weaker brothers had it wrong, 1 Cor 10:28,29. We need to let the bible inform us, which gives the rules to our consciences. We can ignore our conscience, if we know it’s wrong. Otherwise, we should listen to it. This may have been Pharaoh’s issue, a calloused  conscience. One in which he constantly ignored, so it had no voice.
The conscience doesn’t give up easily. When we act against it, guilt is present. Like someone who nags, so the conscience reminds us of a wrong deed. 
Lord, help us to listen to You. If there are areas in which we aren’t, please bring those to light. Thank You for Your patience.