Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Mike Caton

Exodus 2:10, “When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, ‘I drew him out of the water.’”

How much older did Moses grow before he went to live with pharaoh’s daughter? We are not told, and we are not told specifically when children were weaned in Bible days. However according to the traditions of the Jewish teachers, it could be anywhere from 18 months to 5 years old. Certainly, that amount of time would have passed before Moses would have moved from his mother’s house to the palace.

We don’t have to wonder too much about what Jochebed taught Moses in those early years. We know how important those early years are in a child’s life. But remember, this was before the Law was given to the Israelites. But no doubt his mother and father taught him about where he came from, who his ancestors were, the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses would have been told about his birth, and how he had been hidden and how the princess had found him. Maybe they planted a seed in young Moses’ mind about the redemption of his people. Now I know five years old is pretty young to understand some of those things. But when seeds are planted, when you are taught something repeatedly, when you hear something often enough, some of those things are bound to stick. And eventually, some of them will grow and bear fruit.

I wonder what things we are teaching the little people in our lives. (And this does not have to be just your children or grandchildren, maybe there are nieces and nephews, or neighborhood kids, or children at school, or some other place you can influence. How about coach a ball team, lead a scout troop, teach a class at church, volunteer to read in the local school and so forth.) Sure, there are things they are too young to understand now. But the lessons still need to be taught. And maybe the greatest lesson we can teach them is that we love them, that we unconditionally love them. And sometimes we might feel like we don’t have enough time with them, and we all understand we would like more time with our children and other loved ones. But we have to make the most of the time that we do have. There are some lessons that simply cannot be put off. And our prayer should be that those lessons taught young will hold on, and produce many blessings latter.

Father, help me make the most of the time I have with the people I love. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works full time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

READ ABOUT NEWS AND EVENTS HERE.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE COASTLAND TIMES TODAY!