He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. Hebrews 11:25 NLTMy childhood was no different than most.
Parents and grandparents bought me toys for birthdays and Christmas and sometimes for no special occasion at all. Most were probably something I had pointed at when I was small or told them I wanted when I was older. Things I thought would bring me pleasure…perhaps even for a long time. As with most children, the new wore off quickly. Soon my toy was tucked away in a closet, stored in a trunk, or sold at a yard sale. I moved on to something else.
Becoming an adult hasn’t changed the scenario a great deal. I still see things I think will bring me great enjoyment. As my childhood toys did, they all fail me. The pleasure is momentary, and soon I’ve discarded them for something else.
As a child, Moses was snatched from his childhood tent home and deposited in the grand palace of a foreign king. The riches of Egypt were at his disposal—riches that brought with them a sinful lifestyle. When he matured and recognized who he was, he chose to leave the sinful pleasures behind and identify with the oppression his people were experiencing as slaves.
God isn’t against me enjoying the pleasurable things of this world, but he does expect me to stay away from those that are sinful. Satan has a long history of taking innocent things and dressing them up in sinful wrappings. The fruit Eve ate in the Garden of Eden wasn’t sinful; the act of disobeying God’s command to eat it was.
Things that are outright and obviously sinful don’t usually concern me. Rather, it’s the momentary and innocent pleasurable things I struggle with. The newest smart phone. The latest laptop. The most up-to-date IPad or video game. Things that in the short run provide pleasure but that in the long run could steal my attention from what God has in mind for me.
Sin promises a lifetime of pleasure but only delivers short term benefits.
What do you need to put aside so God can give you something better?
Prayer: Father, may we use everything we have to glorify and serve You with.
Encouraging Tweet: Sin promises a lifetime of pleasure but only delivers short term benefits.
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