Eyes On Him (The Story of Moses)
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
Serving in the kingdom of God often is hard and for most of us, we are tempted to give up when we encounter hardship or difficulty. But we learn something as we read story after story in the Bible of the people who God used to do great things and it's this: difficulty is par for the course when it comes to kingdom work.
Look at the life of Moses for example. Moses' life started and before he even could form his first words, his life was in danger as he was born into a family of slaves who had been ordered to kill any baby who was a boy. His parents disobeyed and the way his life was saved was by being adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. So Moses grew up without his parents or any other blood relatives in the picture. Moses went through trials and tribulations along the way and that didn't stop after he called on Pharaoh to “let God's people go.” In fact, the problems only amplified from there on out. Moses was chased by armies, faced the threat of starvation and dehydration, had to deal with lots of complaining from the Israelites and he was even hated by his own people, the very same ones he was trying to help. Moses faced times of war, infighting among his people and he doubted himself and God along the way. Yes, Moses made mistakes, but Moses kept living out His mission from God until his dying breath. He ran the race all the way to the end.
How Do We Keep On Going?
So how did Moses keep on going? How can we also keep on going when we face obstacles or challenges? We're told the key in the book of Hebrews where it reads:
"It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible." Hebrews 11:27
Let's revisit that last line: "He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible."
There are a lot of visible things on this earth we can settle our vision on but instead we are called to focus on the one whose fingerprints are visible to us at times but whose being we cannot yet see.
A few verses later, at the beginning of chapter 12 to be exact, the author of Hebrews further expands on the importance of keeping our eyes on Jesus no matter what comes our way. We read,
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." Hebrews 12:1-4
Crossing The Finish Line
Countless generations of Christians before us have stayed faithful, fought the good fight and crossed the finish line into heaven. And we, like them, have the ability to do so when we keep our eyes on Jesus, the One who it is all for.
Feeling inadequate about your abilities? Take your eyes off of yourself and instead look to Jesus.
Paralyzed in fear over what might happen? Don't look at the potential problems or worse-case scenarios and instead look to Jesus.
Worried about what people will think of you if you get bold? Move your vision from your reputation and instead look to Jesus.
Don't know if you have what it takes to do what He has called you to do? Cast your eyes away from your doubts and insecurities and instead look to Jesus.
When We Look To Jesus
When we look to Jesus not only are we reminded of the mission he has for us to complete as long as we have breath, but we also have any doubts, concerns or fears put in their rightful place as we know that Jesus is bigger than any obstacle that could come our way. He's powerful enough to get His will accomplished. And His intention is clear: He wants to use you and I to build His kingdom here on this earth. When we look to Jesus, we follow in the footsteps of Moses who walked along the dry bottom of the Red Sea and the footsteps of Peter who walked on the waves. It's not a problem-free existence, but when you look to Jesus you'll not only find the strength to keep on going, but you will know He goes with you through it all.
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