Suffering for the Sake of Christ – September 1, 2021

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 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.
Hebrews 11:24-26

Suffering for the Sake of Christ

In the Old Testament hall of fame, Moses is second to none. He led God’s people out of Egypt, shepherded them through the wilderness, and brought them to the border of the Promised Land. It was a tremendous amount of work that involved an astronomical amount of hardship.

Of course, his life could have been much easier. He had been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter as a baby and educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Moses possessed the knowledge, resources, and connections to do anything he wanted.

But instead, he made a conscious decision to live with the Israelites and spent the last forty years of his life leading stubborn people through a barren wasteland. Why did Moses do it? Because he trusted God’s promises about the coming Savior and knew that suffering along with the people of God had a better outcome than living in Egyptian luxury.

That’s how valuable it is to follow Jesus. Because only Jesus can provide us with forgiveness for our sins and eternal life. Every pleasure this world offers will come to an end. The eternal pleasures of heaven will not.

Like Moses, remember how valuable Jesus is and ask God for the strength to suffer anything rather than lose him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, strengthen me for when I must suffer for your sake. Amen.