The Hand Behind the Basket (Mother’s Day Service)

I'm going to invite you, we're going to read

a portion of scripture found in Exodus chapter

Exodus 2 · chapter mention

2. Amen. If you could just bear with me for another

moment. Exodus chapter 2 and verse 1. I believe

Exodus 2 · chapter mention

I have a word from the Lord to encourage all

of us today. And I think along the way we'll

have some special emphasis for the mothers. It

reads as this. As follows, Exodus 2 and verse

1. And a man from the house of Levi went and

took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman

conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that

he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.

Now, I think most mothers, when they see their

babies for the first time, they think they're

beautiful. You know, but. The emphasis here is

more than just natural beauty. She didn't just

look at him and say, oh, he's naturally beautiful.

But the emphasis is there's a special emphasis

on his destiny, his purpose. The child is beautiful.

And she hid him for three months. But when she

could no longer hide him, she took an ark of

bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and

pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the

reeds by the river's bay. Verse four, and his

sister stood far off to know what would be done

to him. Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down

to bathe at the river, and the maidens walked

along the riverside, and when she saw the ark

among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.

And when she opened it, she saw the child, and

behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion

on him and said, is one of the Hebrews' children.

Somebody say amen. I'm going to speak for a few

moments on the thought, the hand behind the basket,

the hand behind the basket. You may be seated

in God's presence today. This story here in Exodus

2 opens during a very dark time for the people

of God. Israel is in bondage and Egypt is...

filled with pressure, a lot of fear over the

decree that Pharaoh had issued that all of the

newborn baby boys would be exterminated, that

they would be thrown into the Nile River. And

this was not just an empty threat. This was a

real decree that... went forth. And it was against

this very dark and heavy backdrop that Moses

is born. And the Bible says, so the woman conceived

and bore a son. And what I think is interesting

about this period is that even with this decree

that went forth, that was just unimaginable.

that the Hebrew women and families continue to

grow their families. They continue to have children.

They continue to move forward in their lives.

But when we read that, that little verse, and

the woman conceived and bore a son, it sounds

so simple to us today in a world where every

day there's gender reveals and families finding

out that... There's going to be a new mom or

a child's about to come. This happens all the

time. It's just a part of daily life. But in

that moment, there was so much pain and uncertainty

that this was not just a simple expression, just

a simple sentence. This child was born in a time,

again, where baby boys were not being celebrated.

They were being hunted down. And this was just

an unimaginable scenario for any mother, any

family to face, that he was born into a world

that was already against him, a world that already

wanted to have a, there was already a bounty

on his head. It was already a death sentence

that had been issued for Moses. And against that

backdrop, against all these circumstances, This

is where we begin to see the hand of God. Amen.

This is where we begin to trace the fingerprints

of God in the life, in this tender moment of

Moses. The Bible says that when his mother saw

that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for

three months. And when we read about this story

in the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews tells

us in short order that Moses... was hidden not

by fear, but by faith. His mother looked at him

and saw that there was something significant

about this baby boy's life. Again, not just a

physical beauty like... Like every mother would

look at their child and say, oh, you know, he's

beautiful. He's perfect, right? Even if he has

a little, you know, even if he's bald or she's

bald or, you know, or has a birthmark. That baby

is perfect in the eyes of mom. Can the moms out

there say amen to that, right? They're just perfect.

And no doubt that was the case, but it goes beyond

that. The mom saw. something in her child that

Pharaoh could not see that the world could not

see she saw purpose she saw destiny she saw that

in her hands was the life of an up -and -coming

man of God somebody now she could not have known

all the things that God was going to do through

his life but she knew that she was not just holding

a baby she was holding purpose in her in her

hands. And so since today is Mother's Day, we

want to along the way make emphasis and just

thank God for the mothers because We honor the

mothers who have helped cover and nurture their

children, that see something in their children

that maybe the rest of the world does not see,

believe something about their children that maybe

others may not believe in. And many, if not all

of us, are here today, thank God, because of

our mothers or because of our grandmothers or

even maybe a spiritual mother figure in our life

that saw something in us, saw purpose in us,

saw value, potential. us before we could even

see it in ourselves. Amen, somebody. Before we

saw it in ourselves, thank God that our mothers

saw that. And maybe that's why mothers and even

fathers would have been so strict or hard on

us or disciplined us the way they did or had

words of counsel because they saw the potential.

And whenever we went astray a little bit, because

they saw that potential, they would try to guide

us and correct us and give us a little tough

love even so that we would one day see what they

saw in us. And this mother today, her name was

Jochebed, saw that in her baby, saw that in Moses.

And so this message is not simply about the hands

that held that baby, that held the basket, but

it's also about the hidden hand behind the basket.

Because greater than the hands of mom were the

hands of God that saw something and instilled

something in that child. There were many hands

in this story. Many fingerprints in the early

days of Moses' life. To start, how about the

cruel hands of Pharaoh, who sought to kill and

take the life of Moses, issuing that order to

exterminate an entire generation. There was also

the hurting hands of the mom, Jochebed, preparing

that little basket, the little ark of bulrushes.

to save her child from genocide. There was also

the watchful hands of Moses' older sister, Miriam,

waiting for the precise opportunity to step in,

to seize the moment, as it were, when her little

brother would be discovered in the hands of Pharaoh's

daughter, stepping in at that right and exact

moment to offer a solution. And I'll come back

to that in a little bit, but... There was her

little hands that were watching. And then, of

course, there was the tender hands of Pharaoh's

daughter herself who, upon seeing this child

in the ark, drew him out of the water and had

compassion. She could have turned him in. Say,

hey, I found one. This little one almost got

away. And instead of that, she embraced him.

But behind every one of these hands that had

a part or had a hand in Moses' early life, his

birth, there was the hand of God, the unseen

hand of God, the providential hand of God, the

sovereign hand of God. And I want to today preach

just for a moment, a few moments about the sovereign

hand of God, that through every affair and through

every scenario and every event of our life, Through

the hands of humans, through the hands of moms

and dads, through the hands of loved ones, through

the hands of teachers and mentors, through the

hands of all that may have a part in our life,

there is the unseen hand of God that is orchestrating,

amen, divinely positioning us for success, divinely

positioning us to be. I want to let everyone

know here today, you are not here by accident.

Somebody say amen for that. You're not here just

because. You're not here on accident. God had

a plan. God had a purpose for each and every

one of us. And nothing happens outside of the

divine watchful eyes of God. He knows even the

amount of hairs that are on our head. And I've

been counting lately and I'm starting to lose

a few. The number changes every day. Praise God.

Hallelujah. But God knows that number. He knows

exactly what it is. And he's got his eye even

on the sparrow. And that's how closely he watches

you and I. So he is intricately involved down

to the detail. You know, somebody said, I don't

know who coined the term, that the devil is in

the details, right? Usually they say that about

a contract you got to read, right? The fine print.

Well, let me tell you something. God is in the

details. I said God is in the details. Not the

devil. Maybe he thinks he is. But God is in the

story. He's in the story of Moses. He's in the

story of our life. And the first thing I want

to impart to you today, mothers and everybody

listening today, is that the enemy cannot cancel

your purpose. I need to say it again. The enemy,

Satan himself, cannot cancel your purpose. Cancel

your purpose. This is a declaration that I've

come to make into your life, into your family,

into your heart, into your home, that Satan with

all of his powers, with all of the things that

he has, every weapon that he has, cannot cancel

the purpose and the plan of God in your life.

Why don't you clap your hands and thank the Lord

for that today. Moses was born under a very real

threat. There's no getting around that. The decree

was real. The danger was real. It wasn't make

-believe. This was not a fictional story out

of a storybook somewhere, out of a movie. No,

this was real. The threat was real. And just

like it was real then, the threat is also real

now. We're living in a world, we're living in

a time that is also blanketed with corruption

and darkness and perversion, and Satan is running

rampant to and fro, seeking whom he may devour

and what life he can take on his own. But against

that same backdrop, we see that there is nothing

the devil can do to rob us or to cheat us when

we are in the hands of God. The Bible tells us

in Hebrews 11, 23, that his parents, including

mom, were not afraid of the king's commands.

I find that to be so interesting that against

that backdrop, they were not afraid. You know,

it is possible to live in the time that we do,

a time where a decree from the enemy has gone

out to destroy and to sabotage and to exterminate

the blessings of the Lord in our life, our families.

There is a very real threat out there, but you

can, live with such a purpose in your life, just

like his parents say, I shall not live by fear.

I shall not walk, hallelujah, in timidity because

God has not given me a spirit of fear, but a

power, love, and a sound mind. They were not

afraid. They said, let Pharaoh make his decree.

That's all right. He can say what he wants because

my God has also made a decree. Hallelujah. I've

got news for the devil today. I've got news for

everyone here today. The devil has made a decree

to take our families, to rob us of our blessing.

But God has also made a decree. And the last

time I checked, the word of the Lord has power.

The last time I checked, when God makes a decree,

there's no devil in hell that can reverse it.

I wish there was a witness in this place today.

I said, when God makes a decree, there is no

devil, there is no demon, there is no witch,

there is no warlock, there is no spell, there

is no curse. Come on, somebody. That can reverse

the demon. If he calls you healed, then you're

healed. If he calls you safe, then you're safe.

Come on, give the Lord some praise today. Woo,

hallelujah. Now, faith doesn't deny the presence

of danger. Faith is not living in denial. Faith

does not pretend like everything is fine and

there's no such thing. Faith acknowledges that

this world is going nowhere. And it acknowledges

that there is an enemy. There is a Satan. There

is a devil. There are things and forces working

against me and against what I'm trying to build

for God. It doesn't deny any of those things.

It simply refuses to let those things have the

final word. No, I'm not in denial. I know. Yes,

I live in the same world as you do. I read the

same news. I hear the same things. And all these

things are real, and they pose a very real threat,

and we ought not to underestimate the enemy.

You know, that's the worst thing you can do is

underestimate the enemy and not prepare and think,

oh, I got this thing in the bag. I don't have

to worry. No, no, no. Don't play those kinds

of games. Well, at the same time, you don't have

to leave. your house and go about your life in

fear and in worry and in confusion and in doubt

and constant in a state of anxiety over the condition

and the future and the life of your family and

your children and your home. No, I can acknowledge

the presence of the enemy while also acknowledging

that my God is greater and that the enemy cannot

cancel my purpose. Hey, I have come to announce

unto somebody, heart today that no matter what

the devil says, no matter what the enemy says,

no matter what the world says, God has got the

final word in your life. Why don't you take a

moment, if you believe what I'm preaching today,

to give God the glory, to give God the praise,

and to think how many of you know he's got the

final word? How many of you know he's got all

the authority in his hands? How many of you know

that God can do whatever he wants? And he will

devise means to bring about his purpose in our

life. Satan cannot cancel God's purpose in your

life. I come to declare that. I've also come

to declare. And in addition to that, let's learn

from Jochebed. Let's learn from this mom and

how she was not willing to bow down. Let me just

insert this for all the moms that are here today.

You don't have to accept what the devil is telling

you. You don't have to accept what the world

is telling you. You don't even have to accept

what your children tell you if you know it's

a lie. That was not born of God. You don't have

to accept any of that. Amen. Oh, you don't have

to accept. Even if you say, well, they're not

serving the Lord rightly. not doing that, it's

all right. You love them, but you don't have

to accept everything that the world is trying

to tell you. Hallelujah. Oh, because God has

given you a word, and you need to let the devil

know whether your children are babies or whether

they are grown. You need to let the devil know

that he cannot have your family. Come on. He

cannot have your sons and your daughters. He

cannot have your grandchildren. He cannot have

your future family. Oh, come on. Is there somebody

in here that wants to rise with that? Oh, come

on. I'm here to let you know, Mom, you got to

get forceful with the devil and tell the devil

this is where it stops. This is as far as you're

going to go because I'm drawing a line right

here in the sand that says I'm not going to live

in fear. I'm not going to live in doubt. I'm

not going to bow down to your decree. I'm going

to bow down to the decree of God who says I am

blessed. Somebody shout hallelujah. Come on,

somebody shout hallelujah. I feel something in

my spirit today. Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah.

I feel something stirring in my spirit today.

Hallelujah. I'm tired of hearing what everybody

else says. I'm tired. of hearing everybody else's

opinion. I'm tired of hearing everybody else

has got something to say about it. I want to

know what is the say of the Lord. I don't want

to hear what the experts say. I don't want to

hear what the scientist says. I don't want to

hear what the politicians say. I want to hear

what God says. And if he says I'm the first,

then I'm the first. If he says I'm blessed, I'm

blessed. Oh, God, I want to know what does God,

somebody say, what does God say? God's got the

final word. Throw your hands up in the air right

now and just worship the Lord for a moment. I

feel something coming over my spirit today. I've

come to do war with the devil. I've come to do

war against every spirit, every demonic stronghold,

every lie, everything coming against you and

your family and your mind and your peace, your

state of mind. God sent me here today to tell

you everything is going to be all right. God

sent me here to tell you all you got to do is

release it into my hands. Trust me in the process.

And you'll see that I will raise up. I'll raise

up your prayers. I'll raise up my God. I am faithful

to my word. Hallelujah. Oh, I hear the word of

the Lord saying that the promises of God are

yea and amen. They are yea and amen. God's got

the blessing. ends. He's the first and the last.

He's the beginning and the end. How many of you

know that he's Alpha and Omega? Oh yes. God has

already seen the end from the beginning and he

knew that when Moses was born into those conditions

that everything would be coming against him.

I'm not going to get through all my points today

and that's alright because I feel the Holy Ghost

holding me right here. Somebody say that's alright.

And God hears all the chatter, and he hears all

the things that are happening around your life,

and all the things trying to discourage you and

distract you and make you feel like your prayers

are not being heard, make you feel like your

voice is not being heard, make you feel like

you're not making any progress. God sent me here

to tell you, a mother, a loved one, a friend,

a brother, a sister, God sent me here today to

tell you that there is no... weapon formed against

you that shall be able to prosper. Oh, there

will be weapons that will be formed. There will

be an attack. I can't tell you the devil won't

attack you. I can't tell you nothing bad's going

to happen. I can't tell you you won't get sick.

I can't tell you you won't have debt. I can't

tell you the creditors won't come. I can't tell

you it's always going to be good and perfect

and easy. But what I can tell you is that no

weapon formed against you will be able to prosper.

Oh, I wish. had a witness in the house of God

today I am standing here as a living witness

I am standing here as a witness I'm standing

here as proof positive that everything the devil

threw at me everything he's thrown at you with

thought that it was going to work but the very

fact that you're sitting in that pew today is

a reminder that the devil doesn't have anything

he's out of options he's out of ammo he's out

of solutions the fact that That you're here in

the house of God today. Is proof positive. That

the devil cannot stop. What God has promised.

Somebody give the Lord some praise today. I feel

something on my spirit. I don't know what's coming

over me. This afternoon. But I feel like I came

with a message from the Lord. To tell you it's

going to be alright. Everything's going to be

alright. Would you stand up on your feet. Would

you give him. Would you give him praise today?

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,

hallelujah. I feel something stirring in my spirit

today. I've come to tell you as a musician, I've

come to tell you that even when you feel like

you've lost control, Even when you feel like

you've lost a grip on your life. Even when you

feel like things did not go according to plan.

And things did not happen the way you thought

they would. Even when you feel like things went

sideways on you. And you got hit with a curve

ball. And that's not what I thought. And that's

not what I planned. And I lost control. almost

lost my mind and I lost the sense of where I

was. I lost my way a little bit. I wasn't always

sure what God was doing. I couldn't always make

sense of his plans. I couldn't always make sense

of what he was doing. I couldn't always understand

it. I couldn't always comprehend it. I had questions

sometimes. I had doubts sometimes. lost his grip.

I know this. God's never lost control. Is there

somebody today that knows that even when the

world is upside down, even when everything is

going crazy, God never loses control. God never

loses his grip. God never loses his sovereign

plan. Somebody give the Lord some praise today.

Somebody thank him right now. Jesus, thank you,

Jesus. Oh, why don't you take about 30 seconds

right there and just lift up your voice and magnify

the Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Why don't

you just tell the devil he's a liar today? Why

don't you just tell him he's the father of lies?

Why don't you just tell him he can't have your

family. You can't have my mind. You can't have

my soul. You can't have my spirit. You can't

have what God has given me. Thank you, Jesus.

Come on, somebody say, thank you, Jesus. Oh,

my God, my God, my God, my God, my God. I feel

the Holy Ghost in this place today. I feel the

hope. God did not send me here today just to

preach a little cute Mother's Day message for

you. God sent me here today with an assignment.

I came with my battle gear on. I came to stand

between you and the enemy. I came to stand here

as the voice of the Lord and awaken within you

mothers and all that are hearing me here today

under the sound of my voice. I came here today

to awaken purpose in you again. I came here today

to say that God has not forgotten about you.

God has not overlooked. My God, my God. God has

not overlooked you. God's a God of his word.

And though the answer may tarry. Come on now,

somebody. Though the answer may tarry. It may

not come when you want it to. It may not come.

when you expect him to. It may not happen on

your timetable, honey. It may not happen when

you think it ought to happen. But this I know,

that if God said it, that settles it. Ooh, Jesus,

Jesus, Jesus. If God said it, that settles it.

That settles it. That means everything in the

end is going to work out. Everything is going

to work out. I come to declare that right now.

I come to declare that right now. Hallelujah.

I've come to declare the hand behind the basket.

That basket represents your children. That basket

represents your calling. That basket represents

your prayers. Oh my God. That basket represents

your family. basket represents your dream that

basket represents your purpose and the devil's

trying to do everything he can to sink that basket

and drag it to the bottom of the river but I

see the hidden hand of God that said if the devil

could have killed you you would have already

been dead to rejoice I don't need a thousand

people to dance I can dance before the Lord all

by myself when I think of the goodness of Jesus

oh when I think of the goodness of Jesus come

on has he been good to you has he saved you has

he healed I'm not convinced has he blessed you

And all that he's done for me, my soul cries

out, hallelujah. Somebody shout hallelujah. Why

don't we just love him right now? Hallelujah.

Yes, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank

you, Jesus. Hallelujah. I feel something right

now, God. God sent me here today to confirm,

to announce to you right now that everything

is in his hands. Everything. Somebody say everything.

It's all in his hands. We used to sing way back

when I was a kid, he's got the whole world in

his hands. He's got the whole world in his hands.

You know what? That's your world too. Hallelujah.

That's my world. He's got my family. He's got

my children. He's got my home. He's got it all

in his hands. So you know what I'm going to do?

I'm not going to spend another night staying

up at night worrying, staying up at night overthinking,

overanalyzing, and trying to figure. No, no,

no, no. God's got me in it. How many of you know

he's got you in his hands right now? He's got

you in his hands today. Would you close your

eyes right there? I feel the Holy Ghost. Oh,

hallelujah. It doesn't always get to that. It's

got to be super complicated. No, it's got to

be, you know, real, real deep. No, sometimes

it's just a word that God comes up with. At your

children. And just a moment, I'm going to pray.

I want to pray a special prayer for all the moms

that are here. I'm going to be inviting you to

this altar. But I feel the spirit just stirring

some things. And I want you right there where

you're at, moms. Everyone is welcome to participate.

But I'm especially inviting those moms to think

about those baskets in your life. Think about

those things that you've been pouring yourself

into. Or have poured yourself into over time.

over the years have poured yourself into things

that you care about. Things that matter. It may

not matter to everybody else. It may not matter

to your neighbor. It may not matter to even some

of your friends. Not everybody's going to get

it. Not everyone's going to understand it. Some

people will tell you, oh, you know, just move

on. You say, I can't move on from this. It's

just too important. know what those things are.

You know what those prayers are. Prayers for

your husbands and prayers for your children and

desires and hopes and dreams. They're all in

that basket. And it seems sometimes to be so

fragile and so delicate. He said, it's all come

down to this. What do I do next? This is what

you got to do. You got to release that basket

into the river. Because only when you release

it will that Does somebody hear what the Spirit

is saying today? Hallelujah. You release it.

The Spirit will carry it. What is that basket?

This is what I want you to do. Moms, I want you

to think about that basket right now. You say,

well, the only thing I can think about is just

my children. That's good. But there might be

something else. There might be something else

that you've been holding on to. Oh, hallelujah,

Jesus. In the name of Jesus, I would like to

at this time, I want to invite you to come, but

I want you to bring your basket with you. Don't

leave it right there because you're going to

need it in just a moment. You're going to need

it. So moms, all the moms that are here, if you're

visiting us, this includes you too, all of you.

I want you to come and I want you to stand here

at this altar just with your hands just in a

prayerful, in a prayerful position. Just come

on up. Oh, hallelujah, Jesus. As a praise team,

the musicians prepare something. I just want

you to come and just stand here for a moment

and bring your basket with you. Bring your basket.

Come on, sisters. That's all right. Amen. Just

get a little, just come right here. Come a little

closer. Just come. Oh, hallelujah, Jesus. God

is here right now. Amen. God is, God's about

to do something right now. God's about to do

something. I feel it in the spirit. Some of you,

you already feel what God is about to do in your

life. You put your basket right here, sister.

And this is what we're going to do. Because God

knows how important that basket is to you. God

knows the concern that you have for it. God knows

the prayer that you've put into it. God knows

the love that you have placed into that. God

knows what it means to you. Because God knows

what it means to you. Because God has a plan

that overrides the plan of the enemy. This is

the only thing God needs from you right now.

God doesn't need you to be God. You're meaning

it. God doesn't need you to be God. Everybody

tells you, you're the glue of the family. And

we mean it. We mean it with a lot of love when

we say you're the glue of our family. But you

know what? Sometimes glue needs glue. Sometimes

the glue needs glue. Sometimes the glue of the

family say, oh, I don't know. If mom wasn't here,

we probably wouldn't do this. And so there's

all this pressure. Mom's got to figure these

things out. You're the glue. Well, you know what?

There's some super glue coming right now. And

God's saying, when I get a hold of, I don't let

go. But you've got to release that to him right

now. So this is all God is saying to you. God

is just saying, if you've got that basket, I

want you to give it to me. Put it into the river.

And that same river that others are drowning

in, will cause yours to float. That same river

that's destroying other lives. You hear about

it in the news. You hear about it. You hear about

your friends and your neighbor. That same river,

I'm going to use it to bring your deliverance.

Sisters, if you're ready, if you're saying, Lord,

I'm ready to give this to you completely and

totally by faith. It's not weakness. It's faith.

To say, God, here it is. In the name of Jesus

Christ. I'm going to pray with you right now.

And as I pray, I feel the Holy Ghost. As I pray,

I want you to begin to release that basket into

the hands of God and say, God, here it is, Lord.

I cast my care upon you for you care for me.

Right now, in the name of Jesus. Father, we...

come before you right now, Lord, and we thank

you for the word that has gone forth. I thank

you, God, for every blessing and every promise,

Lord, and every word that has been uttered from

your mouth, God. It shall not return to you void,

but it will accomplish what you sent it to do,

Lord. And the word has gone forth today, Lord.

And we have come to issue a higher decree. One

that is greater than every decree of the enemy.

And that is this. That these prayers shall live.

These families shall live. These hopes shall

live. These dreams shall live. Oh, these desires,

they shall live also. Because God, you're greater

than all of that. Greater is he that is in her,

that is in me, than he that is in the world.