Scripture

Moses thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasure of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

Observation

By faith, Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He knew that God’s promise of me descendants through Isaac would come true, so he figured that God could raise him from the dead if necessary.

The patriarchs – Isaac, Jacob and Joseph – likewise lived by faith.

Moses parents defied the order of Pharaoh to care for their baby. By faith, Moses rejected all of the comforts, pleasures, and sin of the Egyptian royal family in order to follow the higher vision given to him by the Lord.

By faith, the people of Israel passed through the Red Sea, but the Egyptians drowned .

Application

Do we believe the promises of God and risk our comfortable lifestyle for a higher calling?

Moses turned away from the power and prestige of the Egyptian elite. God commanded him to set the Israelites free and to lead them to the Promised Land. He chose the path of obedience and suffering because there was a great reward that could not be seen in the natural.

Faith means that we put our trust in God, along with our personal desires and ambitions.

When we left our former denomination to plant a new congregation, we did so trusting that God would provide what we needed. A friend said it was the greatest act of faith he had seen. But to us it was not that heroic a step. We knew that God wanted us to do it, and to choose the way of safety and comfort would have made us miserable.

To obey God in faith means that we give up some things, but find a much deeper joy then we could have thought possible.

Prayer

Lord, the way of faith is challenging at times. Thank you for the promise that you will never abandon us when we trust you. Amen.