“His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him” (Exodus 2:4).
This simple sentence says a lot about Miriam’s relationship with God. She had limitations in her stance; all she could do was watch and see what would happen to Moses. If she took him back out of the river, Moses would be just as unsafe among his family as he was among the Nile. So Miriam stands, waiting for God to act. In our own lives, we face similar limitations in our circumstances. We can take matters into our own hands, but this can only take us so far.
I have faced limitations as I have moved across the country, trying to juggle securing an apartment and job. In fact, I lost my housing a week before moving, and all I could do was trust and expect that God would provide. It has been a continuous effort to prevent myself from trying to plan and figure it out on my own. When I failed to trust God over the last few weeks, I have been reminded of Miriam standing at the Nile, knowing all she could do was watch and take on an attitude of expectancy knowing that Moses’ fate was in God’s hands.
This attitude does not only fill us with the peace that surpasses all understanding, but it also prepares us to respond when God makes a way. We see this in Miriam’s bold and daring response to the Pharaoh’s daughter; “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” (Exodus 2:7)...
A moment to reflect:
Have you ever been in a situation like Miriam's where your only option seemed to watch and wait to see what unfolded? How did you feel during the waiting?
Do you find yourself in those situations trying to take matters into your own hands? What do you think are some of the reasons behind that?
How could you practice an attitude of expectancy? Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you and give you courage act!
By Kaelah Byrom; an excerpt from For Such A Time As This: Walking Through Crisis *A moment to reflect is added for this post
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