Text: Hebrews 11:23

Key verse: By an act of faith, Moses’ parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child’s beauty, and they braved the king’s decree.

Stress is part of life and when it is well managed, it can become a gift. We experience stress from a harmful physical environment, pressure from outside circumstances, and the effect of unhealthy relationships. The effect of stress takes a toll on our body physically, mentally, and emotionally. God has given us several examples of how the response of people to stress produced acts of faith. 

The parents of Moses received the blessing of a son at a time when a decree had been passed to kill every male Hebrew child born in Egypt. It was a difficult decision to give up their child for slaughter even before they had any chance to know what the child would be. The risk of disobeying the Pharaoh had dire consequences. How were they to survive in a time like this? 

Egypt was no longer what it used to be for the Israelites. The new Pharaoh did not know their history and so saw them more as a threat than as neighbours. Work conditions had equally changed and they lived now as slaves. This was not the time to attract the King’s wrath, but still, his parents remained Undaunted. Moses had to live!

What did they see in Moses different from every other child? Did Moses come after an angelic visit like it had been before Samson or Jesus’ birth? No, Moses was born normal but his parents saw with the eyes of faith that God wanted to preserve his life so they resolved to pay the price to defy Pharaoh for as long as it was possible, trusting God to do his will in the end. It was an act of bravery moved by faith.

Egypt was a physically harmful environment to raise an active baby boy, it must have taken a huge toll on his mother to keep him quiet, she must have endured sleepless nights to ensure the baby never cried. The threat of ever being caught and its impact on the family must have given them mental torture. 

At the time of his birth, Moses had two siblings already; the emotional pressure this would have had on them trying to cover up for their parents’ decision can only be imagined. 

Eventually, this Baby Moses became the deliverer of Israel, only because the family dared to believe God that his life will not be cut short. 

Today our reflection is on the price parents are willing to pay to ensure they preserve godly seed in this generation.

It is stressful to raise children; from the demands of exclusive breastfeeding which many mothers are not willing to face, to the task of monitoring growth, character development, responsibility and enforcing discipline, parents will face resistance, reactions even a fight to get to their desired objective, to raise godly seed in a perilous time. 

How far are you willing to go to save your children, biological or spiritual from untimely (spiritual and physical) death? What price are you willing to pay to ensure they are not defined by the different lusts that are in the world? You must be aware that the easy way out is to put your convenience first, throw your hands up in the air, and say, “it’s not my fault”. 

“Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of—none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world”. 1 John 2:16

Are you ready to follow the example of Moses’ parents to say “l am ready to fight to save my seed, no matter what it costs”? 

It will cost you your fears, it will crush your pride, it will stretch your patience to the limits, and the most important thing to carry along on this mission is love, agape Love!

When we experience stress from unhealthy relationships, the natural reaction is to run from that hurtful person, but instead let’s keep our eyes on God’s big picture and choose to ride the storm till we get to our goal, God is waiting for you down the load to take over when your strength is gone, Pharaoh’s daughter came just at the nick of time because God was involved. 

“Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring“ Malachi 2:15

Whether you are fighting addiction in a child or dealing with a depressed teenager, God is able but he’s counting on you.

You can do it if you depend on God and live by faith!

Roses & Thorns