Daily Devotional

“Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith” (2 Timothy 3:8). 

Stage magic is a performance art that entertains people by creating illusions that seem impossible. A magician uses tricks to, for instance, pull rabbits out of hats. Some will make a red handkerchief turn into a white one or cut a rope and then “restore” it. But none of this is super- natural and all of this type of magic can be explained. 

Not all magic is based on tricks, however. Some magicians are involved in the supernatural. The Bible clearly states that Christians will never collaborate with evil spirits for any reason. God never wants His people to dabble in games involving contact with devils. Today such forbidden activities, include Ouija boards, tarot cards, horoscopes, and other forms of the occult and witchcraft. 

God warned Moses that Pharaoh would ask him and Aaron to perform a miracle to prove that they were sent by heaven. The Lord instructed Aaron to throw down his rod and it would turn into a serpent. This was neither an illusion nor black magic. It was a divine miracle from heaven. When this happened, Pharaoh called in his magicians, Jannes and Jambres, who threw their staffs to the ground and seemed to cause more snakes to appear. 

Yet Satan has no power to create serpents from sticks of wood. Thus, God caused the real serpent to swallow the phony reptiles to demonstrate His superior power. But Pharaoh’s heart only became harder. He believed Moses and Aaron were using sorcerer’s magic that was equal to his own. He refused to believe in a genuine miracle. 

The apostle Paul warned Timothy that people who resist truth are like Jannes and Jambres, opponents to the ways of the Lord. May God give us the ability to discern between the wondrous works of heaven and the sinister deceptions of hell. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for warning me to be aware of Satan’s deceptions in the last days.