Welcome! I’m so glad you’re joining us for this fourteen-week Bible study based on Girls’ Love Letters from God. If you have time, you may wish to keep a journal to record your responses to the questions. Please DO leave comments, responses or questions on this post so that we can learn from and encourage one another.
Miriam: The Trusting Girl
Read: Exodus 1:22-2:10
I’ve been on the Nile River. It’s huge. It’s very long. It’s very wide, and it’s very deep. And you’d have to be completely, utterly, hopelessly at the end of your own resources to ever, ever consider putting your baby in there, even if you did coat the basket with tar. But that’s what Moses’ mom did. It’s unbelievable.
This mom, after hiding her precious baby boy for three months, realizes that she cannot save him from the murderous Pharaoh, and chooses to put him in the river. Hear that again. She chooses to put him in the river.
It’s the ultimate lesson in letting go.
And it’s my story.
It’s not just my story because I wrote it. It’s my story because I lived it. There I was, one day, standing in an utterly desperate, utterly hopeless, utterly terrifying situation with my son.
For those awful, several years I lived in the land of what if? where all my moments and all my days were consumed with worry about all the dreadful things that might happen to him. I don’t know about you, but I’m an expert in imagining what might happen. I’m so good I could lead a class in it.
And one day, when I had come to the absolute end of my own resources, I simply had to let him go, and trust God instead. I had to place him in that basket, my precious son, with his long legs hanging over the edge, and let him go…
I wonder what Miriam thought might happen to her tiny, defenseless baby brother when her mom chose to let him go in that little basket, down in the huge River Nile?
I’m sure that any one of these awful scenarios ran through Miriam’s mind. She must surely have thought, what if….
A crocodile eats him.
He gets carried downstream by the current and is swept away.
Waves drown him.
The basket sinks.
Can’t you just see Miriam, peeping through the reeds, biting her nails, anxiously wondering which of these awful outcomes awaits her baby brother?
But Miriam is not alone at the river bank. God’s there too. And God’s what ifs are completely crazy, wild, and ridiculous. They’re just not credible at all. In fact, they’re unimaginable. How do you suppose Miriam and her mom would have responded if they’d heard God whisper what if….
A princess finds him.
And she wants to raise him as her own in the palace.
But she needs someone to nurse him.
So the baby’s mother gets the job.
And the baby’s mother GETS PAID to do that job.
Now that’s completely, and utterly crazy. And it’s so crazy that it could never happen.
Except that it did.
Not one of the things Miriam thought might happen actually happened. And it was exactly the same for me. God saved my son, just like God saved Moses.
But it’s all about letting go. Moses’ mom had to let go. Miriam had to let go. I had to let go too.
And isn’t it only when we let go of our fears that we can truly hold on to God?
Friends, I don’t know what you need to let go of. I don’t know what situation, what relationship, what fears you need to release, but whatever it is, we have a God who is able to do the unimaginable.
These words are for you. Put your own name in the space below and read your Love Letter from God:
Dear _________________,
Do you ever get scared of things that might happen, like Miriam did? I want you to think about something that scares you. Now hold out your hand, put that scary thought right in the middle, and close your fingers tight around it. Now, slowly open your hand and just let that scary thought go. Let it fly far, far away into the air. Imagine instead that my great big strong hand is holding on to your little one. Trust me. Let go of your fears and trust me.
Love,
God
Can you feel that big hand holding on to yours? I hope so.
Because it is.
Your Turn:
Please share your response to one of these questions in the comments.
Questions for Reflection
- What is it that you need to let go of?
- Do you think it’s a risk, or a relief, to trust God? Why?
- What do you think would have happened to Moses if his mom hadn’t let go of him?
- What is God revealing to you through this story?
Going Deeper
Trace Miriam’s story throughout her life. (Exodus 15:19-21; Numbers 12:1-15;). What more do you learn about her relationship with her brother, and with God?
Listen to Glenys read the story of The Trusting Girl:
this story and your words about it spoke directly to me – let go and let God!!! That is very hard to do. If we let go, we think we have lost control.
We have to trust that God will help us!!!
I agree MJ… giving up control is a huge issue, and for me, at least, it’s only when I have no other choice. If I could get to the point of trusting SOONER, rather that LATER, it would save me a lot of heartache!
I remember my mom saying, “No matter how old my kids get, I still worry about them.” At the time I thought it was silly, but as a mom now, I understand what she was saying. I try to change my worries into prayers. And I have heard if you pray about something and then keep worrying about it, then you don’t trust God that He is handling it. I will reread this scripture often this week! Thanks for sharing Glenys.
I think worrying about our children is endless Peggy! In fact, in some ways, I Think it’s harder as they get older…but I will try to turn my worries info prayers too. Good advice!
What is it that you need to let go of? To not let self-absorbed people bother me.
Do you think it’s a risk, or a relief, to trust God? Why? Need to ponder more on this one.
What do you think would have happened to Moses if his mom hadn’t let go of him? We will never know.
What is God revealing to you through this story? To never get up. Sometimes live brings us pain and tears but always know if there is a will there is a way.
Golden Rule applies always.
Thank you, Natalie, for putting thought into this and for commenting. I so appreciate it. ..and YOU!
Letting go is hard and I have to give my fears to God over and over again. Why am I so fearful when I know God is in control and only wants what is best for me. Some new health issues for me have made me feel old and vulnerable but I feel better when I trust God, ask for his healing and leave it all in His hands. He cares for his children and loves us unconditionally, so I know that no matter how often I feel fearful all I need to do is give it to God again. What a wonderful Father he is!
Bless you, Glenys, for this on line study. Once again you are helping me through a difficult time in my life.
Anita…it’s ironic isn’t it that the older we get, and the more mature our faith is supposed to become, letting go can be harder, when it should be easier! I so agree! My prayers are with you. ..
Thank you for your kind words of support and your prayers are appreciated. Love and hugs.
A risk or relief – I think it entails both. If the letting go part involves another person (outside yourself) you have the risk of strain or pain in your relationship. That is a real risk. It may take time for those feelings to heal. It may give you months or years of tenuous times together or apart.
It is also a relief. The burden of the anxiety, worry, hamster wheel of trying to find a solution to something that you may not be the one who is supposed to find the solution- is gone. Just like that..it is gone. And when it creeps back in, as it will, you give it back again. The best way for me to give it back, when I was in this situation with someone I loved very very much, was to remind myself to get out of God’s way. He loved her way more than I ever could, even though I bore her, he still loves her more! That gave me the peace and conviction that God would not let her fall further than she needed to. Some people call that “tough love” and it might be but I like to look at it as “getting out of God’s way” God had a plan for Moses. His mother and Miriam needed to get out of his way. Just like Mary had to get out of God’s way in Jesus life. I’m sure as a mother it pained her to no end to know the life that he would have. Couldn’t she just hold onto him and keep him in “their” family? Why did she have to share him with the world! But you see, God also has given up the greatest gift. He had to let his Son go, too and be crucified for US. So, I guess God knows a bit about letting go and how hard it is for us; mother’s especially.
Wow Lori..I had never thought about God having to let Jesus go, but of course he did! So yes, God knows about letting go!
It is so easy to hold on to the worries and not let go, your thoughts of the story in the bible said it very well with baby Moses. Praying about situations and turning it over to God is the only way that works but if it comes back (your worries) God is always there to remind you to trust in him and calm down. Things will work out in time
“Cast all your cares on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5-7.
Thanks for the reminder Linda.
When you talk about coming to the end of your “own resources”, it makes me relieved…that I am not the only one who thinks they can fix everything! Thinking that I have what it takes and not entrusting my struggle and pain to my Father who can do anything! But, as is His nature, He lets us choose to let go and trust Him-when we collapse and finally say, “I can’t do it anymore”. Trusting God is a relief when you finally give yourself permission to do it. I also have had the same struggle as you, Glenys, with my daughter. I can tell you the exact date and place I “let her go” and it has filled me with peace, acceptance, contentment. What a gift-priceless! What is God revealing to me through this beautiful story? I feel He is confirming my decision to let go and He is reminding me He has not forgotten about me and Hannah.
Oh Carol, you are so right. ..God never forgets us! It’s that amazing grace! God bless you and Hannah.
I clung to the vision of God’s hand covering mine all week. He’s got my back! I felt safe and taken care of and that I didn’t HAVE to worry. I have more medical issues this week, but MY Hand is still resting in God’s! Thanks for the visual.
Judy, I’m so glad the visual helped. Prayers for you this week.
Thanks so much Glenys for all the inspiration. I just came across your page and I am really grateful and thankful to God for leading me here. Am going to continue trusting God more and take all my fears and ‘what ifs’ to Him because He alone is able to do the unimaginable.
Thank you, Eunice, for your encouraging words. This was my favorite story to write because I lived in the land of ‘what ifs’ for so long, and came to a point where I just had to trust our great God, who is MORE THAN ABLE!