My Comfort

Hebrews 11:25-26


I don't think I have ever chosen to be mistreated on the level that Moses chose. Moses was given the option of being mistreated or enjoying worldly pleasures. If he chose the mistreatment he was choosing the purposes of Christ, the rewards of the future, disgrace, fellowship with other believers, honor and value. If he chose to enjoy worldly pleasures he was choosing fast relief, sin, treasures of the world, human enjoyment and brief comfort.

To not look at what was in front of him and to choose instant relief from his misery means he was weighing his options. Moses' choice of enduring mistreatment and not going with the worldly pleasures were extremely convicting for me. Moses fully weighed his future and then made his decision, he was being proactive instead of reactive. Moses made his choices based on God's desires and not his own.

Not too long ago, God prompted me with this question: What if every choice I make is a direct, face to face, answer to Him? For weeks I ignored the truth of that statement. After today's reading I realized that just because I have chosen to ignore the knowledge of that truth does not mean that I am exempt from the consequences of breaking that truth.

God has made it very clear to me that I must choose the pure and blameless choice in all decisions, if I wish to rest in the future rewards He has for me. Based on Moses' choice and the things he endured, I am bracing myself for heart break, loosing the respect of those who don't believe, loosing favor in the eyes of those I esteem, being excluded and others desiring shame for me because of what I have chosen.

That may sound depressing and unattractive, but Moses saw this as honor. He had already taken into account the future of his decision. Moses' actions encouraged me to place a higher value on the hope I have in the certainty of God's deliverance and rewards for me.

Another point that opened my eyes in this scripture was that Moses' choice was not at all focused on his physical comfort. It became a non-factor in his decision making. My physical comfort is a huge factor in my decisions. There was a time that I ran from an environment of provided food, shelter and transportation, along with a fake relationship and an unfaithful, abusive oppressor. I ran toward a future that I hoped would be better and I didn't take into account my physical comfort.

I could have stayed and allowed others to feed, shelter and transport me, but the overwhelming oppression of that controlling and dark life became the atmosphere that consumed me. That atmosphere canceled out the benefits of the instant pleasures of provisions. Just as Moses knew his environment would grow more abusive, darker and even more controlled, so did I. I, like Moses, desired a life with freedom and light.

My life now, has become so blessed that I have almost forgotten to deny myself momentary pleasures that result in a similar darkness and control. I have lost sight of denying myself things that could bring a greater outcome, an outcome of freedom and light.

In our humaness we think it is cruel to not be comfortable or pleasured, but the pleasure we seek is eternal and not of this world. I am talking baout a spiritual growth and intense relationship that brings you closer to the Creator, not denying yourself things to just be doing a spiritual ritual.

These may be some questions you may want to take to God in prayer:

1. What momentary pleasures am I choosing?
2. Are thoee pleasures bringing me control and darkness or freedom and light?
3. Am I overly comfortable in your life, to the point of excess?
4. Do you deny yourself any luxuries?

A Clean Picture

Hebrews 9

Today as I read my Bible God gave me insight to His glorious love, the grace Christ Jesus displays for me, and the comfort that comes from the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. After journaling my observation and discovering how I can apply this chapter to my own life, I began to confess the sins I had done recently.

I made a list of things that I felt guilty about and I closed my eyes and began to envision myself walking up to Jesus. I could see my clothes were dirty with a few cuts and bruises on my face and my legs. Jesus’ back was toward me and I called out, “Master, I have come to confess my acts before you, my sins.” I was face down, ashamed and embarrassed. I began to speak the sins I had committed and while I was still speaking them, Christ Jesus turned and began to wipe off my face. I continued confessing as He touched my cuts and bruises and they were gone. When I finished confessing, He raised His hands I was in a white, flowing smock.

At that moment, He lifted His hands and turned toward this Glorious Light. As I was standing behind Jesus, a clear filter of power was outlining His body in a large transparent circle. Darkness was along the outer edges being pushed away. Christ was standing between me and the Light. The Light was God himself – in His splendor and majesty. I saw no face, but His presence was sufficient enough to know He was there.

It was if God was looking at me through this large transparent circle that surrounded Jesus. When God’s attention was on me the darkness along the outer edges was destroyed. I was surrounded by clarity, purity and holiness, with Jesus beside me and God’s presence was in front of us.

I was forgiven of all my sins. Christ Jesus had cleaned me, made me presentable before God. God never saw me in my dirty, cut and bruised body. He only saw me as holy and pure in His sight through the clarity that only Christ Jesus brings. The sins were not hidden, they were exposed and once they were exposed they were destroyed by God’s love, and Jesus’ grace. I did nothing to deserve this and I had no power to do this on my own.

Then, the Holy Spirit put his hand on my shoulder. He began to talk and I listened as He walked me back to my life. There was a great part of me that didn’t want to leave that purity and holiness, but I knew the Holy Spirit was going with me and that God had work for me to do.

I often avoid confessing sin in order to somehow make myself right before I go confess. My struggle only makes me look clean on the outside. This never works and my conscience is never free from guilt when I do this. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse my conscience from the sins that guilt me. Only through Jesus’ blood is my conscience cleaned, I am freed from the separation I have created, along with being free from the power that sin has over me.

My question to you today is what is your picture of Jesus interceding on your behalf? Ask God to give you your own vision. He will.