“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. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.” – Exodus 2:3-4 (NIV)
Before Moses ever confronted Pharaoh, before he lifted a staff or spoke with God face to face, his life was shaped by love — ordinary, courageous, watchful love.
He was placed in a basket and set among the reeds of the Nile. This is an act of desperation, but also of faith. Moses’ mother could not have protected him as she would have liked, so she entrusted him to God’s care. Yet love does not walk away. His sister stood at a distance, watching.
She does not speak. She does not intervene — at least not yet. She simply stayed. In a world where Hebrew boys were being thrown into the river, her presence was a quiet act of resistance. Love kept watch when it felt powerless to act. Love stayed alert in a dangerous space.
Then Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the river. The very household responsible for the death decree became the place of deliverance. When the basket was opened, and compassion stirred, Moses’ sister stepped forward. Her courage meets the moment. Love, that had been watching, now spoke. She offered a solution that kept Moses connected to his own people and his own mother.
This is the power of love: it is patient, attentive, and brave. It does not always stop the danger, but it refuses to abandon the vulnerable. Long before Moses led Israel, he was first carried, watched, and advocated for.
God often works through love that looks small — through sisters who keep watch, women who feel compassion, and families who refuse to give up hope. Deliverance does not begin with miracles and plagues; it begins with someone loving enough to stay near the water’s edge.
Today, where might God be calling you to practice watchful love — to stay present, attentive, and ready to act when the moment comes? Are you ready?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, teach us to love in vulnerable spaces. Help us walk in compassion and be vigilant in identifying the needs around us – people who are hurting through smiles, people who are on the fringes of society. Let us become conduits of Your peace in this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read: Exodus 2:7-10; Psalm 121:7-8
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 18:25-36; Matthew 23; Job 33; Job 34