Hebrews
11:24-26 "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused
to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; (25) Choosing rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin
for a season; (26) Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches
than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward."
One day, a man was going on a business trip. His little boy wanted to help him carry his luggage out to the car. He told the little boy that he could not handle the big luggage, but he allowed him to carry his briefcase. The little boy wanted to know why he couldn't help with the larger bags. The father told him he was not strong enough yet to handle the big things, but he would be able to do it when he grew older and stronger. We often try to tackle situations and circumstances that we are not strong enough to handle.
When Moses was a young man, he walked out one day to see an Egyptian hitting one of the Israelites. He went to the defense of the Hebrew and slew the Egyptian. He then hid him in the sand and fled the country. It seems he had the need and desire within him, even at that time, to help deliver the Hebrews from their slavery. In my opinion, he had the "want to" but did not have the "know how" to be able to deliver them. He lived in the palace. He ate the king's food. He enjoyed all the luxuries of being in the royal family. But there was something inside that was not being fed by the "treasures in Egypt." He made a conscious decision that day that he would not be "called the son of Pharaoh's daughter." He chose "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God." He fled to the desert and for forty years, he tended the sheep of his father-in-law.
It is a fact that the things of the world offer pleasure "for a season." The world knows how to feed the carnal part of our nature. We sometimes get caught up in that situation and find ourselves having drifted into that realm. We try to fight it on our own, but there is failure after failure. Maturity in the Lord is required in order to be able to come back from that state. That maturity can only come as we begin to exercise the God-given faith that is within us.
One day, a man was going on a business trip. His little boy wanted to help him carry his luggage out to the car. He told the little boy that he could not handle the big luggage, but he allowed him to carry his briefcase. The little boy wanted to know why he couldn't help with the larger bags. The father told him he was not strong enough yet to handle the big things, but he would be able to do it when he grew older and stronger. We often try to tackle situations and circumstances that we are not strong enough to handle.
When Moses was a young man, he walked out one day to see an Egyptian hitting one of the Israelites. He went to the defense of the Hebrew and slew the Egyptian. He then hid him in the sand and fled the country. It seems he had the need and desire within him, even at that time, to help deliver the Hebrews from their slavery. In my opinion, he had the "want to" but did not have the "know how" to be able to deliver them. He lived in the palace. He ate the king's food. He enjoyed all the luxuries of being in the royal family. But there was something inside that was not being fed by the "treasures in Egypt." He made a conscious decision that day that he would not be "called the son of Pharaoh's daughter." He chose "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God." He fled to the desert and for forty years, he tended the sheep of his father-in-law.
It is a fact that the things of the world offer pleasure "for a season." The world knows how to feed the carnal part of our nature. We sometimes get caught up in that situation and find ourselves having drifted into that realm. We try to fight it on our own, but there is failure after failure. Maturity in the Lord is required in order to be able to come back from that state. That maturity can only come as we begin to exercise the God-given faith that is within us.
Moses tried to deliver the people by his own ability. He failed. But he did make the choice to walk away from those earthly Egyptian pleasures. He tended sheep for forty years which became a great "school" for him and he would use those lessons later as he "tended God's sheep" through the wilderness. Again, we often try to tackle situations and circumstances that we are not strong enough to handle. God uses our experiences to prepare us for that which He would have us do. Let us use His faith to walk away from that which only gives temporary pleasure and then brings pain. Instead, let us keep our eyes upon Jesus and seek the path which He would have us walk.