"Unseen Plan" by Karolyn Parsons - Exodus 2:1 A man from the family of Levi took a woman also descended from Levi as his wife. 2 When she conceived and had a son, upon seeing what a fine child he was, she hid him for three months. 3 When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket, coated it with clay and tar, put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the riverbank. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river while her maids-in-attendance walked along the riverside. Spotting the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave-girl to get it. 6 She opened it and looked inside, and there in front of her was a crying baby boy! Moved with pity, she said, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 At this point, his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Would you like me to go and find you one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes, go.” So the girl went and called the baby’s own mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will pay you for doing it.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 Then, when the child had grown some, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter; and she began to raise him as her son. She called him Moshe [pull out], explaining, “Because I pulled him out of the water.”
***Today's reading is one of my favorite stories to share, and yet, the names of the women involved are not shared. A mother is under pressure because her infant son faces death. A sister watches over her brother hidden in a basket. The Pharaoh’s daughter sees the baby’s basket in the water, and has her slave girl retrieve the baby’s basket from the water. All of these women came together to save the life of one child. Each one had the courage to try to do the right thing under less than ideal circumstances.
I have often wondered how the conversation about the baby boy went between the Pharaoh and his daughter. How fast did the girl run home to tell her mother that her son’s life was spared and he would continue to live at home with them a while longer. We do not get to see those sides of the story, but we do see how God’s hand brought these women together for a purpose and a plan for the child we know as Moses. How different the story of God could have been without the decisions and courage to save him!
Hymn for Today: "Take My Life, and Let It Be Consecrated" by Frances R. Havergal.
1. Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
2. Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3. Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.
Thought for Today: “So now, Isra’el, all that Adonai your God asks from you is to fear Adonai your God, follow all his ways, love him and serve Adonai your God with all your heart and all your being;(Deuteronomy 10:12).
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders of in Australia.
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Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's Foundry Publishing in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Choosing God’s Way" by Karolyn Parsons - Exodus 1:11-22
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Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's Foundry Publishing in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Choosing God’s Way" by Karolyn Parsons - Exodus 1:11-22
"Choosing God’s Way" by Karolyn Parsons - Exodus 1:11 So they put slavemasters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built for Pharaoh the storage cities of Pitom and Ra‘amses. 12 But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied and expanded, until the Egyptians came to dread the people of Isra’el 13 and worked them relentlessly, 14 making their lives bitter with hard labor — digging clay, making bricks, all kinds of field work; and in all this toil they were shown no mercy.
15 Moreover, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shifrah and the other Pu‘ah. 16 “When you attend the Hebrew women and see them giving birth,” he said, “if it’s a boy, kill him; but if it’s a girl, let her live.” 17 However, the midwives were God-fearing women, so they didn’t do as the king of Egypt ordered but let the boys live. (ii) 18 The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and demanded of them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “It’s because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women — they go into labor and give birth before the midwife arrives.” 20 Therefore God prospered the midwives, and the people continued to multiply and grow very powerful. 21 Indeed, because the midwives feared God, he made them founders of families. 22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born, throw in the river; but let all the girls live.”
***World War II brought us stories of those who defied the Nazi orders to imprison and kill Jews by helping hide and rescue lives that were in danger. These people faced a daunting choice: obey orders or defy them. The risk was high—their own death was possible—but to those individuals it was worth that possibility.
The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah faced one of these times. They had to choose between the edict of the King of Egypt and the lives of the Hebrew male babies Pharaoh had ordered them to kill. Disobedience to the Pharaoh could mean their own death, but what Pharaoh was asking them to do went against God.
The midwives feared God more than Pharaoh and helped the babies live. Pharaoh questioned them; he did not punish them. Their decision to obey God spared many babies and in turn, God honored their faithfulness with families of their own, and a growing community of people.
What impossible situation are you facing today? You may not be making a decision of life and death, but we each have times of testing. Our obedience to God is not by chance, but rather an intentional choice we make each day. Choose the narrow way.
Hymn for Today: "Teach Me Thy Way" by B. Mansell Ramsey.
1. Teach me Your way, O Lord, teach me Your way!
Your guiding grace afford, teach me Your way!
Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight;
lead me with heavenly light, teach me Your way!
2. When I am sad at heart, teach me Your way!
When earthly joys depart, teach me Your way!
In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress,
in failure or success, teach me Your way!
3. When doubts and fears arise, teach me Your way!
When storm clouds fill the skies, teach me Your way!
Shine through the wind and rain, through sorrow, grief and pain;
make now my pathway plain, teach me Your way!
4. Long as my life shall last, teach me Your way!
Where’er my lot be cast, teach me Your way!
Until the race is run, until the journey’s done,
until the crown is won, teach me Your way!
Thought for Today: Sh’mu’el said,
“Does Adonai take as much pleasure
in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obeying what Adonai says?
Surely obeying is better than sacrifice,
and heeding orders than the fat of rams.(1 Samuel 15:22).
Please pray: That many people in Australia will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
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Please pray: That many people in Australia will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
***
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