” Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength.  However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.  Letting go is hard, but sometimes holding on is even harder.” – Ann Landers.

A new king, who did not know Joseph, came into power in Egypt. He feared the Israelites might join his enemies to fight against him.  He assigned slave masters to oppress them to stop them from becoming numerous, but the more they were oppressed the more they grew.  So, he ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all the boys born to the Israelites.   However, they feared God and did not carry out the king’s order.  Since this strategy did not work, the Pharaoh ordered his people to throw every Hebrew male baby into the Nile River.  In the midst of this oppression and evil a mother gives birth to a son (Exodus 1 & 2).

This mother tried to hold on to her son by hiding him for 3 months.  When she could not hide him any longer, she let him go.  Her name was Jocabed, a descendant of Levi and wife of Amram, born in Egypt under bondage and slavery.  Moses, the son she held on to as long as she could but then let go by trusting God, became the deliverer of Israel.

Qualities of Jocabed that enabled her to hold on and let go:

1. A woman of vision:  She saw that her son was a fine child (Ex. 2:2).  Her fears and tears of losing her child did not blind her vision.  The death sentence over her boy did not cloud her thoughts.  She envisioned, imagined, thought and dreamt of life instead of death.  She was a visionary.  She made a waterproof papyrus basket to safely release him into the water.

2. A woman of prayer:  The ability to design and make the basket and the timing to let go of her baby came from prayer.  Her daughter’s swiftness in showing up just as Pharaoh’s daughter drew the basket, the strategic question, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” definitely was the result of prayer.

3. A woman of determination:  She was determined to do whatever it took to keep her baby hidden; perhaps sound proofing her tent, staying up all night to keep him comfortable and quiet.

4. A woman of faith:  She wrapped her baby, put him in the basket and placed it among the reeds in the Nile River where other Hebrew children became food for the crocodiles.  Her daughter stayed back to see what happened, but Jocabed left, trusting God.

Lord, I pray for all mothers, help them grow in these qualities.  Give them strength to let their child (ren) go, to be saved, loved, comforted, protected, guided and taught by You so that they can be what You desire them to be.

God honored Jocabed’s faith, determination, prayer and the vision for her children.  She became the mother of a priest (Aaron), a worship leader (Miriam), and a leader/deliverer (Moses).

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For this Mama, 2013 is the year of letting go.  She let her son go, yet holds him close to her heart in prayer.  She has placed her daughter in the “basket of prayer” ready to let go into the arms of a Godly man.  Mama is delighted to see the daughter she let go two years ago serving God with joy.