Wait and See

“His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.”  Exodus 2:4

 

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”  In many situations those few words hold more than a little truth, and we feel like Moses’ sister, Miriam—standing at a distance, helpless and hoping, wondering what will happen.   

Would the basket dislodge from the reeds and float away?  Would the baby become supper for a hungry crocodile?  The young girl could do nothing but watch and wonder.  She was too far away to hold and far too weak to help.  Forces beyond her control had created the circumstance, and a Power bigger than her imagination would arrange the solution.  For the moment, her place in the plan was to wait and see.

It’s not a comfortable spot to be in when those we love are dealing with disaster, disease, or despair, and we can do nothing to make it better.  (Yes, we can and should pray, but even that declares dependency for on our own we are unable to undo accidents, cure cancer, or dispel depression.)  Often, as God works His will in the lives of others, we must stand at a distance and watch.  

Don’t get distracted, though, because God might have more for you to do.  Miriam kept a keen eye on the precious bundle, and the moment the princess picked him up, his sister rushed in.  “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”(Ex 2:7).  Her alertness allowed her mother to once again hold her own son and for their family to be reunited.  

When you find yourself too far away to hold and far too weak to help, know that your place in the plan might just be to wait and see. While you’re wondering, God is working, so be ready to step in as soon you can.  

A big sister standing by her little brother made huge difference.

Who does God want you to watch today?

Letting God

“She placed the child in the basket and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.” Exodus 2:3
 

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”  Pharaoh must have heard and heeded this advice for when his initial population control plan failed, he hatched up another—death by drowning.  “Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people, ‘Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile’”(Ex 1:22).  Sobs of grief filled Egypt’s air as helpless infants were snatched from clinging arms and tossed cruelly in the river. 

One family, descendants of Jacob’s son, Levi, couldn’t bear for their boy to meet such a fate.  The baby was Amram and Jochebed’s third child—their second son, and they were determined to let him live.  For the first twelve weeks of his life, they concealed his presence, cringing when he cried and holding their breath if foreign footsteps slowed at the front door.  But after three months, the baby was too big to hush and hide, so Jochebed bought a basket and made a boat, sealing each crack and crevice with tar, pitch, love, and prayer.   It was time to let him go.

She had faithfully done her part to help him float; now she must trust God to keep him afloat.  “She placed the child in the basket and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile”(Ex 2:3).

 

As a parent whose nest has recently emptied, this really hit home, but children aren’t the only things we need to loosen our hold upon.  We tightly clutch those and that which are precious, and so we should, but when the time comes where circumstances, situations, and the sovereignty of God demand that we relax our grip, we need to “buy a basket,” coat it with lots of love and prayer, place our treasure inside, and put it all in God’s strong hands.

Doing so requires courage, selflessness, faith, hope, love, and sometimes desperation, since the future isn’t certain and the unknown can be unnerving, but when we realize that all good gifts come from God and are for God, we can trust Him with what we can’t control.

Jehovah had big plans for Moses, but, first, his mama had to put her little baby in the basket.

Be willing to let go and let God.

Regardless

“The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do.”  Exodus 1:17

Joseph, the slave-turned-savior of Egypt, was dead, and so were all who remembered his good work during the great famine.  A Pharaoh who had forgotten his history came to power, and all he knew was that a foreign people, “many and mighty,” lived within his borders.  His fear was national security for if an enemy marched in, the Israelites might help them out.

His solution to the situation?  Slavery—ruthless, forced labor with harsh demands and long, hot days, but his plan backfired because the more bricks the slaves built, the more babies were born. “The more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread”(Ex 1:12).

Pharaoh’s next option? Infanticide.  He didn’t want to lose his labor force—just limit it, so he instructed the Jewish midwives to murder all baby boys at birth.  What would Shiphrah and Puah do?  The most powerful man in the world had issued an order, but the choice to comply was their own. Should they carry out Pharaoh’s command to take the babies’ lives or let them live and risk their own?

They never even hesitated.  “The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do”(Ex 1:17).  Pharaoh was unhappy and asked for an explanation. God was pleased and blessed beyond expectation. “God was kind to the midwives…and because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own”(Ex 20-21).

Life is full of choices, and our days are determined by our decisions—not so much how long we live but how well we live.  And how much of our lives will last.  Often it’s wise to weigh the options, but when God has spoken on a matter, don’t debate. Do the right thing, and know that obedience always brings blessing.  Some rewards appear on earth; the rest will arrive in eternity, but they will come because God is kind.

As you decide how to live today, remember that it matters not who in this world is offering opinions, proclaiming policies, or demanding the latest version of morality.  The King of Heaven has spoken in His Word, and His commands are the ones we should keep.

Regardless.