Exodus 33:12-23
Living by faith can come with times of hardship. Let’s look at Moses. In order to serve the Lord, he had to choose to go forward by faith in spite of many daunting challenges.
Having grown up in Pharaoh’s palace, Moses knew all about the Egyptian ruler’s pride, as well as the importance of Hebrew labor. So he understood the difficulty of carrying out God’s command to free His people from slavery. As it turned out, Moses’ job didn’t really begin until they were released. He then spent more than 40 years leading the Hebrew people, interceding for them when they disobeyed God, and calling upon the Lord for rescue when they faced trouble.
Moses’ life was marked by trials and sacrifice, but more importantly, it was shaped by an intimate relationship with God. Every hardship that knocked away his self-reliance strengthened his faith in the Lord. When a new challenge arose, Moses turned first to God for guidance and provision.
Scripture tells us that adversity produces deeper intimacy with the Lord (1 Pet. 5:10). Moses’ life demonstrates this, and the same holds true for us. Hardships are inevitable. We can try to avoid them but will likely end up frustrated and unsuccessful. A wiser approach is to meet each challenge and go forward by faith.
Bible in One Year: Amos 5-9
