In Touch - May 19-20, 2007

In Touch Daily Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley

            Welcome to the In Touch Devotional. 

            Living by faith guarantees hardship. People don’t like this message, but it’s true. Believers who choose to completely surrender and obey God will experience suffering at times. They’ll also be asked to make painful sacrifices. To serve the Lord, Moses had to choose to go forward by faith in spite of difficult challenges. 

            Moses grew up in the Pharaoh’s palace. He knew all about the Egyptian ruler’s pride, as well as the importance of Hebrew slave labor. With this knowledge, Moses recognized how difficult it would be to carry out God’s command to free His people. But Moses left his comfortable life to obey the Lord. 

            Moses’ task only began with the Hebrew slaves’ release. He then spent more than 40 years leading them. He interceded for them when they disobeyed God and called upon the Lord to rescue them in times of trouble. 

            Moses’ life was marked by challenge and sacrifice. But more than that, his life was shaped by an intimate relationship with God. Every hardship that knocked away his self-trust strengthened his faith in the Lord. When a new challenge arose, Moses first turned to God for guidance and provision. 

            First Peter 4 12-14 tells us that suffering produces deeper intimacy with the Lord. Moses’ life demonstrates this principle, which holds true for believers today. Hardships are inevitable. We could try doing everything in our power to avoid difficulties. But that wouldn’t be successful. The wiser approach is to meet the challenge and go forward by faith.

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