Moses messed up a good thing.

Think about the remarkable life this man lived:

• He was rescued from a basket on the Nile River and raised in the king’s own household.
• He talked with God at the burning bush.
• He performed astonishing miracles to convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go.
• He endured the constant complaints of the Israelites while God worked wonders through his hands.
• And he is the only person recorded in Scripture to see the glory of God pass before him face to face.

What a résumé! And yet… Moses blew it.

When God told Moses to speak to the rock to provide water, Moses struck it in frustration instead, snapping at the complaining Israelites: “Must we bring you water from this rock again?”

And God said, in effect, “Moses, that’s enough. You have failed to honor My holiness and majesty.”

“For both of you betrayed me with the Israelites at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. You failed to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel there. So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.” Deuteronomy 32:51–52 NLT

The result? God allowed Moses to lead the Israelites all the way to the entrance of their promised land—but Moses himself could not enter.

What’s the lesson for you and me? “To whom much is given, much is required.” God expects more of seasoned, mature believers.

With each increase of God’s glory in us comes a corresponding higher level of personal responsibility. And here’s the danger: when we start depending on ourselves more than on God, we set ourselves up for foolish mistakes. Honestly, I’ve made my share of leadership mistakes too.

Moses erred at the water. David erred with the beautiful Bathsheba. Samson erred in his own pride. History is full of godly men who, while finishing well, still stumbled along the way toward God’s dream for them.

Even the apostle Paul wasn’t exempt. God refused to remove Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” because the sheer amount of revelation Paul was receiving could have led him into pride. Instead, God gave him a better promise:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

And Paul finished well!

So, will your spiritual success tempt you toward pride? Yes, it will. But friend, you don’t have to give in to it. Here are three ways we can overcome any temptation:

1. We daily humble ourselves before our Lord and others. When we lower ourselves, God Himself lifts us up.

2. We continually delight ourselves in the Lord. Temptation shrinks as God’s Word in us grows. We learn to hate sin, and truly love our God.

3. We pray for the people and situations that tempt us. Prayer changes our perspective—we begin to see them through God’s eyes.

May God’s favor and grace continue to surround us as we grow from faith to faith!