Do you ever find yourself squeezing your eyes shut wondering if they might just pop out? Or clenching your hands so tight it leaves indentations on your palms? All the while – wishing things were another way? When life is difficult, we need to know what to do.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT
Life is difficult, unpredictable and quite honestly painful at times.
Knowing what we will do first when life is difficult, when the pain feels like it will devour us whole, is imperative to persevering well through life’s trials. Will we pull up our bootstraps and get moving, turn to friends, seek wise counsel, or draw up the covers over our heads?
The best time to learn what to do is not when you find yourself in a hard place.
For many of us, the most painful circumstances will involve our children. We can become unglued trying to fight for justice, take away their pain, or somehow make life go back to what we had expected or planned.
Like many other mom warriors when my child is hurting I jump in with both feet, searching, seeking, and planning for the best possible outcome. Willingness ignites inside me to do anything in the world to help this child of mine.
Of course, this is noble to want and be willing to help.
However, when we fight to the point of exhaustion and become overwhelmed one must ask;
- Have we skipped an important step?
- Are we clinging to control?
- Whose strength am I acting on?
- Have I put my trust in God?
- Am I letting God be GOD?
- Have I put my child in the Moses basket?
The Moses Basket
Do you remember what a brave momma did many years ago? Moses mother, Jochebed, carefully placed him in a basket and had her daughter, Miriam, watch him float down the Nile River in hopes of a better life. Could you imagine doing the unthinkable? What was Jochebed thinking?
She released him. She let God be God and trusted him. It took tremendous courage, strength, and wisdom to release her precious baby.
But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. Exodus 2:3
The Best Thing to do When Life is Difficult
I have a friend I turn to frequently in times when I need prayer. She prays for me, but it is her words that propel me right to where I need to go. She ever so sweetly says,
“Put it in the Moses basket.”
We must give everything to GOD; we are not in control. It is so easy to become consumed with searching for what is best that we forget to do what is best. Put your worries, person, circumstances, whatever it is in the Moses basket and let God have it. Watch it go down the river. Have faith God is in control.
When you put your trust in God, you will find a peace that makes no sense.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
When we trust God, unexpected opportunities may come our way. Remember Moses’ mother not only saved his life but also was able to care for him as a baby and teach him about God.
If you are anything like me, I tend to put things in the Moses basket and snatch it back just as fast. Don’t worry repeating this action over and over again is okay.
When we look at our circumstances, it may seem impossible, but with God, the unthinkable can happen. His strength, power, and love can do a lot more than we ever can accomplish on our own.
So when life is difficult, do the best thing and give it to GOD.
What do you need to place in the Moses basket right now?
