As I watch my children raising their children in today’s climate, it brings me to my knees daily. Yes, daily, and sometimes hourly. My children watch over their young ones very carefully, but today, children are exposed to far too many things at such an early age.

Being in my seventies now, it has been almost three decades since my last child left the nest. Today, I was thinking back on how hard it was not to be there every moment to protect them. There is a huge river called life, and all of us will release our children into that river. It is one the hardest things we do.

Many years ago, while raising my children, I was having a challenging time. Surely it comes as a shock to learn that even preachers are imperfect parents! And even preachers’ kids do not always walk the straight and narrow!

I was reading the story of Jochebed putting Moses in the Nile River to save his life from destruction. She built a little basket, put pitch (tar) around the outside to seal it and then set him afloat. Later, Moses was picked up by Pharaoh’s daughter, which looked like the end of baby Moses. After all, he was now in “enemy” hands. You can read the whole story in Exodus 1 and 2.

God showed me a few principles that day while reading about baby Moses.

1. Jochebed built a basket. We as parents build baskets while raising our children. We weave a basket by teaching the truth and principles of God’s Word. Row by row, she wove a basket. We teach our children precept upon precept. Don’t leave this up to your church! Get a children’s devotional book and spend time teaching them.

2. The mother of Moses then put pitch around the basket to seal it. We instruct our children, and then we seal it by being a praying parent. Day by day praying the Word over our children will seal the truth that we have woven into their lives. And by all means, teach your children to pray.

3. At some point Jochebed had to release that baby into a river. How hard must that have been! She would much rather have held that baby in her own protective custody. She trusted the basket she had built would keep him afloat. Now she would have to watch from afar as he drifted down the river. In all our lives as parents, we will have to release our children into the river of life. If we have taken time to weave a basket of truth and sealed it with prayer, we can trust it to keep them afloat. When watching from afar, we can still trust the things of God that we sowed into the lives of our children.

4. Moses took a few twists and turns down that river. When Moses was picked up by Pharoah’s daughter, it looked like he was in the wrong hands, with the wrong people. Yet, God still brought Moses into his destiny. Even when our sons and daughters take twists and turns that lead them to wrong relationships, God can still put them in a position to fulfill what He has laid out for their lives.

Raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Trust God with the results. When we take the time to build a basket, it is amazing what God can do with it. Just ask a mother named Jochebed.

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-7