Great Plains Daily Devotional for 8/29/2023: Hebrews 11:23-29

Hebrews 11:23-29

By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned.

As the children’s director for Lenexa United Methodist Church, I often have to define “churchy” words for my kids during lessons. We use words like believe, mercy and grace all the time, and although you may know what they mean, can you explain it to a 7-year-old? Another one of these words is faith. We talk about having faith, but it’s not something tucked away in our pockets or sitting on a shelf at home so it can be difficult for children who think literally to comprehend. I have a dictionary called “Faith Words for Kids” by Melissa Hammer which defines faith as “believing God’s Word and acting in a way that shows that belief. Faith is trust in action.”
 
In today’s scripture we see this phrase repeated over and over again: by faith, by faith, by faith. We see that Moses’ parents had faith to put their trust in God and hide Moses after his birth. We see that Moses had faith to claim his identity as a person of God and leave Egypt. We see that the Israelites had faith to cross on dry land between towering walls of deadly water.
 
Faith requires two steps: 1) Believing in God and 2) Acting on it. The actions that comes with faith are not always easy actions. God does not call us into a life of safety and comfort. Moses would have been much more comfortable living as Pharaoh’s grandson and enjoying a life of luxury in the palace, but instead he acted on his belief in God and led the Israelites through many difficult trials. In our own lives, do we settle for the easy, comfortable life upholding the status quo, or do we step out in faith?
 
Each dictionary entry ends with a reflection question. I’ll leave you with the question it asks: “What are some of your actions that show your faith in God’s promises?”
  Published September 14, 2020

Prayer for Reflection

Exodus 1:8-2:10
Isaiah 51:1-6
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20