Enduring Failure
What if Taking Risks doesn't work out?
Have you ever felt like God uniquely prepared you for a specific purpose? That He gave you eyes to see a specific need and the talent and resources to meet it? What happens if you take the risk that you know God is asking you to take, but instead of success you’re met with failure?
Moses had to wrestle with these questions. The moment he was born he was marked for death by Pharaoh. He was miraculously saved through the faith of his parents and the compassion of Pharaoh's daughter. Instead of a life of hard labor he was given the privilege of a world class education. He grew “mighty in his words and deeds” (Acts 7:22). Moses was born a slave, but grew up to become a prince of Egypt. It may have seemed like he had it all, but Moses knew he was meant for more.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (Hebrews 11: 24-26)
I have to believe that Moses thought he was destined to free the people of Israel from slavery. Why else was his life spared when so many others were not? Why else was he given immense talent and a position of power? Moses refused to take these things for granted. He decided to risk it all and by faith went out and attempted to liberate his fellow Israelites.
“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.” (Acts 7:23-25)
Moses failed. The prince became a fugitive, forced into exile in a distant land. He found work as a shepherd and the Lord blessed him with a wife and children. But this is not the life Moses was supposed to have. Faithfulness doesn’t always lead to visible success. The risks God asks us to take do not always pan out. We can’t always know the reasons why, but we can respond the same way Moses did.
“By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27)
As the old hymn goes…
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace
Shawn
Yes, that’s a tough one, but it happens. Sometimes we’re just left with, as Jesus said, “Father, not my will, but yours be done”. Of course, no one could have guessed that after the [risk] Jesus took in obeying the Father, even to the cross, as bad as that seemed to work out for Him, the world changing event that was to come afterwards, working out the plan of God perfectly! “For now we see through a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as have been fully known”.