Devotionals by Raul Ries

SUNDAY April 12, 2026

The Faith to Make a Stand

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
Hebrews 11:24-26

Moses had reached the pinnacle of fame in Egypt––he stood next to Pharaoh––perhaps the next in line to sit upon the throne. As a baby, he was adopted by an Egyptian princess and grew up in a royal family, but he preferred to identify with the Hebrews––an enslaved people. By faith, Moses made a stand. He chose to reject the fame, the power, and all of the worldly riches in Egypt.

Moses’ circumstances changed when, in anger, he killed an Egyptian who was mistreating one of the Hebrew slaves. He hid the dead body in the sand, but the murder was seen by others. Once Moses knew the murder had become known, fearing for his life, Moses fled into the wilderness. He took refuge with Jethro, a nomad, married one of his daughters, and became a shepherd. He went from being somebody for 40 years, to living another 40 years as a nobody before God would use his life.

In Exodus 3, Moses saw an unusual sight. He saw a bush burning, but it was not consumed by the fire. He drew closer, and then came a voice from the burning bush calling his name––“Moses, Moses!”––to which Moses replied, “Here I am.” God made himself known to Moses:

“Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God (Exodus 3:5-6).

You see, this holy place was where God had placed a call on his life to be the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The Lord desires to use our lives, but He often brings us to a place of brokenness and humility before we can become useable by Him.

Whenever God means to make a man great,
He always breaks him in pieces first.
~C. H. Spurgeon~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!