Choosing Suffering Over Comfort - Treasures of Faith - Week 8 Day 3

TODAY'S TREASURE

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Hebrews 11:24–25

Transcript

Choosing Suffering Over Comfort 

Chuck and Sharon Betters

Today’s Treasure

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Hebrews 11:24–25

Moses’ two faithful parents, Amram and Jochebed, certainly could not have known that the daughter of Pharaoh would find their son along the riverbank, or that this woman would have such compassion as to take the boy into her own heart and home, knowing of her father’s horrific edict, knowing full well that this child was a Hebrew slave. Amram and Jochebed could also not have prepared the child’s sister, Miriam, who had followed along after the basket, to step forward as she did, offering the services of the boy’s own mother to be his wet nurse. Amram and Jochebed could only see what lay directly in front of them; they had to do what they could to save their child, surrendering all “the rest,” by faith, to God.

Pharaoh’s daughter named the boy “Moses,” and his birth mother, Jochebed, became his wet nurse until he was weaned. It is likely, then, that Jochebed nursed and mothered Moses until he was two to four years old, and that she impressed upon his young mind all the stories of his true family: stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

In an extraordinary act of faith, Amram and Jochebed thus unknowingly collaborated with God. They knew their son was no ordinary child. But they did not know their act of faith would be the channel through which God would begin preparing their son to deliver the Israelites from bondage. 

These stories challenge us to consider every act of obedience, no matter how mundane or difficult it may seem at the time, as building blocks in God’s kingdom, and perhaps most especially in our dealings with our own children. Extending godly love guided by biblical faith may not reap immediate benefits. It may even seem futile and a waste of effort, but faithfulness in even the smallest things can yield unimaginable eternal rewards.

If Amram and Jochebed were still alive the day Moses murdered an Egyptian and fled into the desert, they may have been heartbroken and dismayed, but we suspect they continued to remember their lost son in prayer. God continues to “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20), oftentimes behind the scenes, and more than we will ever see within our own lifetimes.

Moses was born in poverty but came to live in a palace. He was the child of slaves, yet became the grandson of the mighty king of Egypt. Having experienced all of this comfort and grandeur, Moses nevertheless chose to be identified as an Israelite, as a son of God, rather than continue to enjoy a secure and pampered life in Pharaoh’s palace. He weighed all of that temporal security, wealth, and power against the suffering and poverty but also the eternal hope of following God and by faith, he chose the latter. Moses learned early on a lesson King Solomon, years later, would put into words:

“[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

With his eyes wide open to the risks involved, Moses identified himself with the covenant community of God in spite of the deep hatred of his Egyptian family for the Israelites. But his own people rejected his initial attempts at leadership (Acts 7:23–29), and his first rash response to the brutality of slavery, the murder of an abusive Egyptian overseer, accomplished nothing. Instead, Moses was forced to flee Egypt to save his own life from a vengeful Pharaoh. Clearly, before Moses would be able to lead his people out of Egypt, God had much more work to do in his heart.

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s palace, surrounded by wealth, power, and privilege. His adoption by Pharaoh’s daughter offered a life of comfort and influence. Yet, when the time came to choose, Moses renounced his royal identity to align himself with the enslaved people of God. He deliberately walked away from a life others would envy. He chose a life of mistreatment, obscurity, and hardship rather than participate in the fleeting pleasures of sin.

This is the kind of faith that doesn't make sense unless your eyes are fixed on eternity.

Moses’ decision echoes the heart of Christ, who also left the glory of heaven to be numbered among sinners. Faithful obedience to God often involves loss. Moses didn’t just lose a title—he lost safety, recognition, and power. But in God’s economy, losing the world means gaining everything that truly matters.

We often want faith to enhance our comfort, not threaten it. However, biblical faith often calls us into discomfort, sacrifice, and risk. Moses models what it looks like to say “yes” to God even when it means saying “no” to everything else.

Where are you tempted to cling to the comfort of Egypt instead of walking the hard road of obedience? Maybe it’s a relationship, a job, a secret sin, or even your reputation. What you hold on to reveals what you treasure.

God may be calling you, like Moses, to make a costly choice, not because He wants to deprive you, but because He wants to give you something better. The fleeting pleasures of sin promise satisfaction but never deliver. True joy comes when we are aligned with the purposes of God.

Following Jesus is costly, but not following Him costs even more. Let Moses’ example challenge you to make faith-fueled decisions today. Refuse to let fear or comfort dictate your obedience.

PRAYER

Lord, help me see the worth of knowing You as greater than anything this world can offer. Give me the courage to choose suffering, if necessary, for the sake of Your name. May my choices reflect my confidence in Your eternal reward. Amen.

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Adapted from Treasures of Faith by Chuck and Sharon Betters with permission from P&R Publishing

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