By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. – Hebrews 11:24-27
After Moses was rescued from the Nile River, he was brought up in Pharaoh’s palace. Yet the exalted position and the privileges of rank did not draw him away from following God. When he was forced to decide, Moses chose the path God had set before him, despite all of the sacrifices and hardships God’s purpose entailed. He was willing to suffer rather than to take the easy way, because he had a clear understanding of what mattered most.
The temptations that we face in our day are not new. They are the same lures that the devil has been using for thousands of years. The hardships that we endure are not new. They are the same difficulties and suffering that God’s people have faced through the centuries. Peter wrote, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12).
There are people who proclaim a painless path of following Christ. They teach that if we just believe enough or give enough or try hard enough, everything will go smoothly and we will be exempt from the burdens of life. While it is not hard to see why such a message is appealing, it is still a false message. Nowhere in the Bible are we promised that our path through life will be easy if we do right. Instead we are promised that the rewards of doing right outweigh any suffering that we might endure. The rewards God promises to those who faithfully serve Him make it worth any sacrifice required to do His will. ( Daily in the Word)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx.
