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Choose Gains

Hebrews 11:25 “Moses chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” (NIV, emphasis added).

In this verse Moses knew that what was waiting for him was discrimination and ill-treatment, but he still made the choice. Instant gratification has robbed a lot of people of the rewards that come with delayed gratification. Delayed gratification has been greatly eroded by the ‘microwave phenomenon’: I want it now, not later! A lot of the problems people face exist because they do not delay gratification. Some people have zero savings because they are not delaying gratification. I don’t believe anyone enjoys pain, however, we can choose our pain because of the glory ahead.

The second choice Moses made that shaped his life, is he chose short-term pain for long-term gain. When we consider the pain Moses had to endure, calling it short-term pain seems like a huge understatement. However, if you put the pain side-by-side with the gains, you will agree that it was really short. The pain we have to endure often seems to last forever. However, when we get into the gains, the pain becomes worth it. For you to secure the future that you want, you have to choose short-term pain for long-term gain.

It is interesting to note that when we think of sin, the things that come to mind are things like stealing, adultery, fornication, lying, and the likes. But guess what? Moses did not do any of those things in the palace. So what is Paul talking about in this verse when he said, “the pleasures of sin"? To sin is to miss the mark of God's best for your life even though you may not be committing adultery, stealing, lying, or killing anyone. For example, if Moses remained in the palace enjoying being called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and enjoying the good things of life while God’s people were in bondage, God would consider that sin.

God is greater than us. He does things in ways that we cannot comprehend. Sin, for Moses, was not being where God wanted him to be. In Hebrews 11:23, God chose Moses. He was born a special child and his parents saw it and put Moses in the River Nile in a basket. By Hebrews 11:25, Moses had to choose God, though that choice came with mistreatment. I want to challenge you to choose God today.

Prayer: Father, I choose You; please guide me along the best pathway for my life, in Jesus' mighty Name. Amen!