Miracles Duplicated?

The entire ordeal of the plagues upon Pharoah and Egypt is interesting.  Admittedly however, it is difficult to close my eyes and really imagine even one of the plague scenarios.  Any attempt to consider the circumstances of any particular plague usually leaves me trying desperately to analyze what natural events could have taken place that would have caused that event.

 

How faithless and unfaithful am I?

 

Does it not seem important to look carefully at these events and arrive at a definitive conclusion in regards to whether they were, in fact miracles, or natural and explainable phenomena?  Why not settle, once and for all, what I believe about this?  Am I afraid of actually processing this to personal conclusion?

 

I will say here that one thing that bothers me about these plagues is the fact that Pharoah's magicians could duplicate even one of them.  I don't get that.  Somehow, my mind could take a better position on the plagues as a whole if those magicians could not have reproduced a single one of them.  But instead, there were able to turn water to blood and bring frogs up from the Nile.  I find it difficult to call something a miracle from God if a magician can produce the same end result.

 

While I find it comforting that the plagues eventually progressed to un-duplicatable events, am I missing a reason why the first couple were duplicated?  God surely knew beforehand what Pharoah's magicians were capable of.  What about this story and its progression, not only for Pharoah, Egypt, Israel, and Moses, but also for us today, required things happening as they did in order to accomplish God's ultimate intended purpose?

 

To be sure, it must have been something!

 

Father, please forgive me for my faithlessness.  I am so thankful for all the areas of my life where I have seen growth in myself.  However, there are still areas where I need resolve and therefore growth.  I don't want to simply glaze over areas of concern (ie. doubts) that I have (like these plagues) because I know that accomplishes nothing and renders me useless in my witness in regards to these.  Help me to arrive at conclusions that please You and give me confidence to encourage others to do the same.