The Upper Room devotional reflection for Friday, November 11, 2022, comes to us from B’Kolly of Lagos, Nigeria.
22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live."
1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4 His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. 5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. "This must be one of the Hebrews' children," she said. 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" 8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother. 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it.
10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."
Exodus 1:22 & 2:1-10NRSV
THE STORY OF MOSES
The story of Moses reminds me of God’s grace and care. I am particularly moved by the way God saved Moses from death according to Pharaoh’s degree, keeping him in the Nile River until he was spotted and rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter. What an unlikely outcome that Pharaoh’s daughter would put aside her father’s decree, ask Moses’ mother to nurse him, and then raise Moses as her son! The appearance of Pharaoh’s daughter and her discovery of the baby were not mere coincidences; they were acts of God, part of an amazing plan to save Moses.
Moses’ story encourages us to think of all the acts of God in our own lives. It invites us to ponder how we show appreciation for God’s saving grace upon our lives and the lives of our loved ones. How do we explain God’s love for us and God’s work of salvation through Jesus Christ? The amazing acts of God are limitless. We could never number the blessings God has provided for us. But we can trust that just as God offered grace to Moses, God will surely help and keep us.
Friends,
I can only imagine the terror and fear that gripped Moses’ mother when she heard Pharaoh’s decree. Out of desperation, when she could no longer conceal Moses from Egyptian authorities, she places him in a water-resistant basket by the riverside. Maybe Moses’ mother knew Pharaoh’s daughter came to bath in that portion of the river, but what she did not know was what Pharaoh’s daughter would do when she discovered the baby. Moses’ mother had to have faith that his life would be spared. Sometimes, amidst our own harrowing circumstances, all we can do is hold on to faith; hoping that God will provide a solution we have not considered or conceived. Be encouraged and hold on to your faith, knowing God is already at work in your situation to bring a blessing out of your struggles.
--Pastor Anthony
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for your love and saving grace. May we never take your presence with us for granted. Amen.
-- B’Kolly
Prayer Focus:
Gratitude for God’s provision.
Thought for the day:
Today, I will look for God’s grace in my circumstances.