Hebrews 11:23-29

Key Verse: “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” (Heb 11:26)

Most of us know the story of Moses: how an angry and jealous pharaoh enslaved the Jews and became so fearful of them that they were ordered to kill all baby boys; how his parents, who by faith and through their great love for Moses were unafraid of the pharaoh’s laws and hid their son until he could not be hidden anymore; how he was set in a basket made of reeds and floated down the Nile under the watchful eye of his sister, Miriam; and how the Pharaoh’s daughter found baby Moses and took him in as her own. Young Moses grew up in the palace as an Egyptian prince instead of being treated as a slave like his family and his people. As a prince, he was privileged and taken care of. His life was easy and comfortable—everyone served him and treated him with respect. Moses became well-educated and was, essentially, master of his own life.

But everything changed when he had grown up. After he reached maturity, God opened his eyes, and he denounced his title and ran away, ultimately to serve God and His people. Verses 25 and 26 say, “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” Moses threw away all that he had been given and chose instead to become a disgrace in the eyes of the world. He chose a life of suffering.

When Moses made such a decision, it brought him closer to God. Through leading the people of God out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land, he learned how to please God and make other decisions in order to please God. God became greater than all else—even the many treasures of Egypt— because Moses knew that a life of sin, while it is pleasurable, is only temporary and cannot last forever. A life of sin is not fulfilling, but only a temporary fleeting fix that makes us happy for a short while but then makes us even more miserable in the end and leaves us empty. God and His gifts are much greater and more worthwhile than any gifts, blessings, or things we can earn here on earth.

And this decision of faith helped Moses throughout his life. Verse 27 says that, “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” God was with Moses and strengthened him, giving him courage and strength even as the pharaoh sought the Israelites’ deaths. When we are in our worst situations, it is the perfect time to grow in such personal faith.

In the same way, I need to be clear about my decisions in faith and to stick by them, allowing God to work through me. Ask any of my close friends and they will tell you I am terribly indecisive, and the bigger the decision the more hesitant I am to make a decision. This semester, I took a great leap and after much prayer and talking with my parents and other highly influential people in my life, I chose to take a semester off from school to reanalyze my educational situation and regroup after the recent struggles with my major, my grades, and my attitude. After YDC and choosing my 2010 key verse, 1 Corinthians 13:11, I thought it was time to get serious about school and the rest of my life. I am strangely at peace with my decision, although it is still hard as I miss being at school, must look for a new job, and (most importantly) reanalyze my future.

Please pray for me as I go through this transition in my life, that I may find the right direction for my schooling and remain faithful to Narrowgate and Bible study even though I am not in Toledo as often.

One Word: Make a decision of faith for Christ.