23. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. 24.  By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25. choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26.  esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27.  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

By faith Moses. What a profound statement. It is a statement that is repeated ten times in the book of Hebrews with an individual’s name attached to it. The writer of  Hebrews, in a nutshell, chronicles the life of Moses. In this brief summary, the writer makes an interesting statement. Verse 27 reads, in part, “for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

Moses was able to stand before Pharaoh and lead the people of Israel through the wilderness with a great deal of confidence in the God he could not see. His faith and confidence were so strong, it was as if he could see God out front leading the way. God is out front leading those who belong to Him. Even though we can’t physically see Him, we know by His nature and character, which are revealed to us by His promises, that He is there. So, when life doesn’t go quite the way we scripted it, we endure as one seeing Him who is invisible. When the dark days seem to outnumber the bright days, we endure as one seeing Him who is invisible. When everything is life is going well, we endure as one seeing Him who is invisible. The key to it all is our faith. After all, the writer of Hebrews tells us that the capacity to “endure as one seeing Him who is invisible” comes “by faith”.

‘In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: without question, God has made the one as well as the other, so that man cannot discover anything that will come after him.’

The one thing that each of us have in common is that we have no idea what the future holds. Life is full of joyous occasions. In these  times we are able to laugh, smile, and rejoice. Life is also full of difficulty. It is in these times that we feel empty and confused. What is important for us to remember is that God has made both. He has made the times of rejoicing as well the times of advesity. Solomon tells us the reason for this is so that man cannot discover anything about his future. We have today.  We may be on the mountain today, and tomorrow find ourselves in the worst of valleys. In the joyous times I must thank Him, love Him, and always trust Him. In the times of adveristy I must thank Him, love Him, and always trust Him. God holds our future in His hands. We are given one day, one season at a time. What we must remember is that the same God that allows the difficulty also blesses us with prosperity.

4. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,  5. ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce[. 6.  ‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7. ‘Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’

I heard it said once that as believers we are to grow where we’re planted because that’s where God waters us. God had allowed the people of Israel to be exiled into a foreign country. Instead of longing to be somewhere else, God spoke to them and commanded them to treat their new land as their home. The influence of God’s people in a land that did not acknowledge Him was needed. Much like today. As individuals and churches, we have been placed in this land where we live so that we may be a light and an influence to the lost. We are to pray for the people around us. We are to pray for the city in which we love. When the city and the people around us prosper as a result of the gospel, we will prosper as God’s people. Not until. Let’s not long for somewhere else. Instead, let’s grow where God has planted us.  

13. When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and knew that they had been with Jesus.

The “they” mentioned here in the first part of this verse refers to the Jewish religious leaders. After some very pointed preaching on the person of Jesus, the religious leaders knew something was different with these men. Although they knew they had no training and no formal education, they seemed to be have great insight to matters pertaining to God and His Son. If it wasn’t formal training or formal education that made the difference, what was it? The difference was having been with Jesus.

This is a good question for each of us. Have you been with Jesus? Have you spent quality time with Him lately? Better yet, if someone were to look at your life could they tell that you had been with Jesus? Bible study, devotions, and quiet times are great tools that enable us to be “with” Jesus. A believer should never have to tell someone they have been spending time with Jesus. People should be able to see it all over us.

41. Sitting across from the temple treasury, He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. 42.  And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43.  Summoning His disciples, He said to them, “ I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury. 44.  For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed—all she had to live on.”

Have you ever stopped to think about what you give God? I am not referring to anything monetary. I am talking about how much of yourself you give to God. When you and I as believers are fully surrendered to GOd, we give up everything to Him. The way in which God uses what what we give is entirely His choice. Your offering, gift, or sacrifice may seem very simple and unimportant. God excels in taking the simple and producing great results with it.

For example, the widow gave a total of less than one penny. The amount was not the issue. The issue, or what touched the heart of God, was her attitude behind that amount. Her devotion to God led her to give everything she had to live on. This in turn led to a deeper trust in God that He would provide for her needs. Where is your devotion? What does your devotion look like? Has your gift or sacrifice touched the heart of God? The world we live in says you have to give more, do more, and be more in order to be accepted. God requires one thing – obedience.

I believe there are some vital things we can miss if we don’t surrender ourselves to God. I give these to you for your consideration.

1. If I am not surrendered, I will miss the opportunity for God’s blessing on my life.

2. If I am not surrendered, I will miss what it means to be a “friend” of God.

3. If I am not surrendered, I will miss the opportunity to do something meaningful in the kingdom.