God does not need my help

Over the years I’ve noticed how many times my prayers and the prayers of others are basically us telling God what to do. Finally I realized the arrogance. As MacArthur says, trying to improve on God’s plan is more pretentious than trying to improve the Mona Lisa with an ink pen and wind up ruining the masterpiece.

Because of the number and might of the Hebrew people in Egypt, the current Pharaoh enslaved them. He also ordered all male Hebrew babies be put to death. The parents of Moses refused to ruin the masterpiece. His parents knew God had a plan for Moses and even though they did not know what it was, they trusted Him. The NT says:

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. (Hebrews 11:23)

The story of Moses begins like this:

The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:2–10)

I can scarcely imagine the faith it took for them to risk their own lives, as well as the life of their baby, by placing him in that basket and introducing him into the very household of the one who wanted all male Hebrew babies slain.

But by God’s providence, Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, took pity on him, and adopted him into her family, and He used Moses’ sister to arrange that Jochebed nursed and cared for her own son!

That gave Moses’ family the opportunity to teach him about God’s promises for Israel to inherit the Promised Land, become a mighty nation, and instill within him faith in God that would later characterize his life.

I may never be called on to make the kind of sacrifice that Moses’ parents made, but no matter what the risks, remember that God always honors obedience. Not only that, such faith means ‘stop’ telling God what to do. He knows — I don’t!

PRAY: Lord Jesus, I’m so thankful to finally realize that trying to tell You what to do is the same thing as running my own life — the very essence of sin. I’m thankful that You not only know what is best but are able to communicate it to me when I need to hear it.

PONDER: Romans 12:1-2: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1–2)