Moses lifts his hand, and the heavens respond. Thunder, fire, and hail devastate Egypt, except Goshen, where the Israelites dwell untouched. It’s a moment of divine distinction: judgment and mercy side by side.

(It reads in Exodus 9: 22–26 Easy) Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Lift up your hand towards the sky. Then hail will fall over all the country of Egypt. It will fall on people and on animals. It will fall on all the plants that grow in the fields of Egypt.’ When Moses lifted his stick towards the sky, the Lord sent a great storm. He sent thunder, hail and lightning.  The hail fell and there was lightning like fire. It was the worst storm anywhere in Egypt since Egypt had become a nation.  Everywhere in Egypt, the hail knocked down everything that was in the fields. It knocked down both people and animals. It knocked down all the plants in the fields, and it broke all the trees.  But no hail fell in the region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

Father God who can raise a storm or stop it. You command the skies, and even fire obeys Your voice.  When judgment falls, teach us to run toward Your mercy. When the world shakes, be our refuge and peace. Thank You and praise You for sparing Goshen, for making a place where grace still grows. Let our hearts be soft, our ears open, our lives sheltered in You. Love You, thank You, praise You and give You all the honor and glory in Jesus Precious Name Amen.