Not only was the child saved from death, but he also got to grow up in the house of a princess. Read Exodus 2:5-10. The birth story of Moses is surrounded by tragedy, uncertainty, desperation, and deception. The tragedy was that Pharaoh commanded that all Hebrew baby boys be thrown into the Nile. The deception came from two midwives who lied about why they didn’t carry out Pharaoh’s orders. The desperation came from a mother who wanted to save her child from death. The uncertainty was whether or not her plan to save her child would work. We stand on the other side of the story, so we know how it turns out, but put yourself in the moment of a mother placing her child in a basket and sending him down the Nile River, hoping he would survive. No guarantees. We often find ourselves in the moment with different circumstances. We hear a diagnosis of cancer and are given treatment options, not knowing if any of them will work. We leave a job interview not knowing if we will get a call back. We put our baby up for adoption, not knowing if the adoptive family would give the child a wonderful life. We can only hope for a good outcome. The story of Moses also includes a big sister. Miriam watched her brother float down the river and come to a place where some women were going into the water. The daughter of the Pharaoh was bathing in the Nile when she noticed the basket. The basket was brought to her, and she opened it. She discovered a baby boy and realized he was a Hebrew. Miriam is quick to act and approaches the princess, offering a solution for his care. The princess agreed. Baby Moses is saved from death. He is returned to his birth mother, who raises him and gets paid by the princess to do it. The story of tragedy for many babies became a story of triumph for Moses. His mother took a risk. His sister guarded him. A princess had compassion for him. Some day you may experience a difficult decision with an uncertain future. When that time comes, and maybe you are currently in it, trust God to be with you in the decision. When the future is uncertain, we can be certain that God is with us and with the people in our lives. 

Prayer: Lord of Creation, please be with all who are facing uncertain outcomes in difficult situations. Help us to lean on your love and feel your presence. Give us wisdom to make difficult decisions and trust the outcome to you. Amen.