Exodus 2, Episode 106, A Basket of Blessings! Moses is rescued and Blessed!

Hi, I’m Sal Lopez Executive Director of Ozark Hunger Relief, I am doing this to hopefully find some sponsors (tax deductible donations) for an office in Prairie Grove, Ar. I have seen and fed many children who wander around here. I thought if I started a non-profit, the community would be happy to help. Nope! I’ve had nothing but suspicion, derision, denial, and was eventually ripped off for everything I had, by another food pantry. They offered to let me work with their food pantry, then when I delivered everything I had, they told me to they couldn’t let me in their office, but subsequently asked me for more of my money. It has been horribly depressing, but I will persevere and get this office open.
My vision is to be a community resource center, but the main goal is to feed hungry kids, whose parents are drug addicts, and/or alcoholics. I guess some are just poor. Anyway, I need help and will advertise for you, and have signs of acknowledgement for every donor, proportionate for the donation.
Remember to try to stay positive, you can choose your state of mind, so I offer this advice: Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”
Anyway, this episode is Exodus 2, God's Basket of Blessings: From the River to Your Miracle Good morning, church! Oh, what a beautiful day the Lord has made! Can you feel it? That spark of hope in the air, that whisper from heaven saying, "I've got you, and I'm about to do something amazing in your life!" Today, we're diving into Exodus chapter 2, and let me tell you, this isn't just an old story, it's your story! It's a divine blueprint of how God turns the impossible into the incredible. Picture this: a tiny baby in a basket, floating down a river of danger, but heading straight for destiny. That's you and me, friends, carried by God's grace right into His promises! Let's start at the beginning, in Exodus 2:1-2. We meet a Levite couple, Amram and Jochebed, who give birth to a son in the shadow of Pharaoh's cruel decree to kill all Hebrew boys. But watch this, God plants a seed of courage in their hearts! They hide him for three months, and when they can't anymore, Jochebed crafts a basket from papyrus, seals it with tar and pitch, and places her precious boy right there on the Nile. Oh, hallelujah! That basket wasn't just a boat; it was a vessel of victory! God says to you today, "Child, I've sealed you in My promises, no leak too big, no storm too fierce!" And do you know what happens next? Pharaoh's own daughter spots that basket while bathing! Exodus 2:5-6 tells us she opens it, sees the child crying, and her heart melts. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she says, but instead of fear, she feels favor! She calls for a Hebrew nurse, none other than Moses' own mother, to care for him. Friends, that's the favor of God exploding on the scene! It's like Proverbs 21:1 reminds us: "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." Just as God turned Pharaoh's daughter's heart, He's turning hearts for you right now, bosses, family, opportunities. I declare: Favor is flooding your life today! Now, fast-forward to Exodus 2:10-15. Moses grows up in the palace, trained in all the wisdom of Egypt, but with a fire in his spirit for his people. One day, he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, and boom, justice rises up! He intervenes, but things go sideways, and he has to flee to Midian. Sounds like a setback, right? Oh no, no, no! That's God repositioning you for promotion! See, in the palace, God was preparing Moses with leadership skills, strategy, and strength. And in Midian? Exodus 2:16-22 shows him defending seven daughters at a well, marrying Zipporah, and settling into shepherd life. What the world calls exile, God calls equipping! Let me corroborate this with Romans 8:28, oh, what a powerhouse verse! "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Just like Moses' "detour" in the desert built his character for leading a nation, your delays are divine setups! Remember Joseph in Genesis 37-50? Sold into slavery, thrown in prison, but rising to save Egypt and his family. God whispered the same to him: "What you meant for harm, I meant for good." Your story's unfolding the same way, every trial a thread in God's masterpiece! And here's the heart-stirring close of Exodus 2:23-25. The Israelites groan under bondage, their cries rising to heaven. "God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So, God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them." Yes! God hears you! He's not distant; He's deeply invested. As Psalm 34:17 echoes, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." And in the New Testament, James 5:16 amplifies it: "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Church, your midnight cries are turning into morning miracles! God isn't just hearing, He's moving! So, what does this mean for us today? It means you're not drifting aimlessly down some river of chaos. No! You're in God's basket of blessings, sealed tight, headed for the palace of purpose! Maybe you're in a season of hiding, like baby Moses—trust, God's protecting you. Or growing in unexpected places, like palace Moses, lean in, He's preparing you. Or running to your Midian, rejoice, He's providing! And if you're crying out like Israel, lift your head, He's concerned and coming through! I want you to stand with me right now. Repeat after me: "God, I thank You for hearing my cries! I declare Your favor over my family, my finances, my future! From this river of uncertainty, launch me into my promised land!" Oh, the joy that's coming! The breakthroughs, the laughter, the testimonies! God has you, friends—He's got the whole world in His hands, and that includes your miracle. Let's pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for Exodus 2, for showing us Your unwavering love. Stir our hearts with hope today. In Jesus' name, amen! Go forth and shine—your basket's about to hit the shore of glory! God bless you! Now to another Book that has been on my mind. Surrendering to the Sweetness: Jesus' Prayer in Gethsemane and Your Path to VictoryGood morning, family! Oh, what an incredible day it is—sun shining, hearts open, and the presence of God wrapping around us like a warm embrace! Can you sense it? That gentle nudge from heaven saying, "I've got a breakthrough with your name on it!" Today, we're stepping into one of the most powerful moments in all of Scripture: Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Now, I know what you might be thinking—this scene sounds heavy, full of sweat like drops of blood and deep sorrow. But hold on, friends! This isn't a story of defeat; it's a divine declaration of triumph! It's Jesus modeling the ultimate surrender that unlocks heaven's power in your life. Get ready—your spirit's about to soar as we see how His "yes" to the Father turns our "what ifs" into "watch this!"Let's paint the picture from Matthew 26:36-46. It's the night before the cross. Jesus leads His disciples to Gethsemane, that olive grove where the weight of the world presses down. He tells them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." Oh, but watch His heart! He takes Peter, James, and John aside and begins to be sorrowful and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," He says in verse 38. Friends, even our Savior felt the crush of what's coming—the betrayal, the scourging, the nails. But here's the game-changer: He doesn't run from it; He runs to prayer! Three times He falls face down and cries out, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Hallelujah! In His deepest agony, Jesus chooses surrender—and that's where the miracle multiplies!See, Gethsemane wasn't a garden of despair; it was a garden of decision! Jesus could have called down legions of angels (Matthew 26:53), but He said yes to the Father's plan because He knew the joy set before Him—the redemption of you and me! And just like that, He's inviting us into the same sweet surrender. As Hebrews 12:2 echoes so beautifully, "For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Your Gethsemane moment? That tough diagnosis, that fractured relationship, that dream deferred—it's not the end; it's the entry point to resurrection power! I declare today: What looks like a cup of suffering in your hands is about to overflow with blessing!Now, let's zoom in on Luke 22:42-44, where the Holy Spirit adds this vivid detail: Jesus prays so earnestly that His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground. An angel appears from heaven to strengthen Him! Oh, yes! Even in the press, heaven dispatches reinforcements. This corroborates what we see in the Psalms—Psalm 34:18 declares, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." And in the New Testament, 2 Corinthians 12:9 shines through: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Friends, Jesus' vulnerability wasn't a vulnerability; it was valor! He shows us that when we pour out our hearts in raw, honest prayer—like He did—God's strength surges in. No more striving in your own power; step into the supernatural support that's already yours!Think about Peter, right there in the garden, who Jesus warns to "watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation" (Matthew 26:41). Peter sleeps instead, and soon denies the Lord three times. But praise God, that's not the end of Peter's story! In John 21, after the resurrection, Jesus restores him with three affirmations of love, turning denial into declaration. Your sleepy seasons, your stumbles—they're setups for comeback stories! Just as Romans 8:28 promises, "In all things God works for the good of those who love him." Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane wasn't just for Him; it was for us, paving the way for the Holy Spirit to pray through our weaknesses, as Romans 8:26 assures: "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."So, what does this mean for you right now, beloved? It means your Gethsemane isn't a graveyard—it's a gateway! Maybe you're facing a decision that twists your gut, or a burden that keeps you up at night. Follow Jesus: Get alone with the Father, pour it out, and whisper, "Not my will, but Yours be done." Watch how that surrender shifts the atmosphere! Doors fly open, peace floods in, and suddenly, you're strengthened by angels you can't even see. I've seen it in lives just like yours—marriages mended, addictions broken, callings ignited. Yours is next! Stand with me, church! Let's declare together: "Father, in my Gethsemane, I choose Your will! Strengthen me, surround me, and lead me to victory! I receive Your joy today!" Feel that? That's resurrection rising!Let's seal it in prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, showing us the power of surrender. Fill us with Your strength, turn our cups of trial into testimonies of triumph. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen!Go out there and live surrendered—your greatest yes is on the horizon! God bless you abundantly!