At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. (Acts 7:20–25)
He knew he was to deliver his people from Egyptian oppression, but didn’t realize he was not ready yet. However, he made a choice; by faith he forsook the pleasures and prestige of Egypt and endured ill-treatment with his own people. Some might think he sacrificed everything for nothing, but from his perspective, the opposite was much more important:
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24–26)
When I was a new Christian at an age when the world offered many opportunities, God gave me the sense to abandon those worldly ambitions. At times it seemed costly to obey the Lord. Those who did not know Him were able to use their skills for personal gain, but I could not? I remember the same feelings as the psalmist who wrote: “Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.” (Psalm 73:12–13) However, that writer went on to add:
But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. (Psalm 73:16–18)
Someone put it this way: “People can go through the supermarket of life and put all sorts of goodies in their cart, but eventually they must go through the check-out.” This helped create an eternal perspective and changed my value system. I did have fears that God would take away “the good life” but in my case, He has blessed me more than I could have imagined and replaced what I gave up with a far better way of life than I originally thought I wanted.
Our children used to say at each meal: “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for this food.” He is great and good. Yes, His eternal rewards far outweigh the passing pleasures of sin, but even in this life He gives peace and even the ability to rejoice in loss and trials. Those who do not know Jesus will go through the checkout and whatever awaits them on the other side, yet those who know and love Jesus are assured that He has paid the cost and we can look forward to glory for all eternity. Choosing obedience is never disappointing.
PRAY: Jesus, You alone are the great blessing of my life. I cannot imagine how anyone can enjoy this life without You, never mind be free from fear regarding the afterlife. I thank You that even if this life was filled with trials, pain and sorrow, one day all will fade from memory as I gaze upon your face. For now, grant me the grace to be obedient, even when the choice is not easy.
PONDER: Read Stephen’s account of Moses in Acts 7:20–53.
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