Somewhere we have been mislead to think that if we will do things God’s way, our life will become easier. We have been assured that ‘The safest place in all the world is in the center of God’s will.’ That is not necessarily so. The prophet Elisha would not have had enemy armies trying to capture him if he had remained on his farm. David would not have been pursued by King Saul if he had remained in the fields with his flocks. Esther would not have faced the king’s wrath had she remained silent concerning her people’s peril. Peter, Andrew, James, and John would not have been threatened, arrested, or executed if they had remained in their fishing boats. But when these people left the comfort and security of their normal life to go on mission with God, things got dangerous!
Moses assumed that by doing what God said and delivering his divine message to Pharaoh that everything would fall neatly into place. Moses might have envisioned that people would be grateful to him for coming to deliver them. Instead, Pharaoh mocked him and the people he came to deliver accused and rejected him. Things got worse instead of better. How could this be? Wasn’t Moses following God’s will?
Of course, Jesus was following His Father’s will and it led Him to painful betrayal and a brutal cross. Nowhere does God promise easy sailing if we do what He asks. That is because we live in a sinful world. The powers of darkness hate it when God’s people obey Him. Those who walk in darkness do not appreciate it when light shows up! On top of all of that, God is an expert in maximizing His glory on earth. If He can be more glorified by you enduring hardship, expect trials to come! God does not exist to make your life comfortable. You exist to glorify God. The greatest way to honor God is to obey Him immediately, wholeheartedly, and steadfastly, no matter what the circumstance.