Exodus 1:22-2:1-4 “So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive. And a man of 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 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 bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him."
Jochebed’s night-time travail –
- A pregnancy with fear and anxiety.
- A delivery accompanied with no rejoicing, no congratulations and no naming ceremony.
- Nursing a baby in hiding with fear of being found out.
- Agony of making the ark and putting her beautiful child out on the river.
This night-time travail was carried out in an atmosphere of severe and intense slave labour and persecution, so her focus was just survival. Just travailing to keep the baby alive. Just managing to keep her head above the water!
Our night-time travail may have been like Jochebed’s. We were begging God to keep alive what He was birthing in us. We were in survival mode.
Glory to God! The COMFORTER has come! The night is over and the day we have waited for is now upon us! There is hope in the COMFORTER!
Exodus 2: 5-8 "Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her 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 ‘this is one of the Hebrews’ children.’ Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go’. “So the maiden went and called the child’s mother."
God uses our efforts in travail during the night to affect our daybreak! He caused the baby to be found by one who would have compassion on him and save him! What comfort and joy this brought to this travailing woman. What music it was in her ears when Miriam came to call her to nurse her son!
The COMFORTER has come! The long night of travail has ended!
Psalms 30:5 – “…Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Travail continues at daybreak but with a different focus.
Exodus 2:9-10 "Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son.”
Jochebed’s travail at daybreak – Now with comfort and joy! The fear and terror is gone!
- In action mode.
- Preparing her seed for higher purpose than just saving his life.
- Prioritising her labour.
- She had a brief window of opportunity and went to work to make the most of it.
- Silent labour, not openly recognised but of great impact for the cause of God.
Even though the external circumstances remained unchanged, the COMFORTER had come and something had changed in the realm of the Spirit. What He had preserved in the night now needed to be prepared for sending.
- Lord, help us to enter our daybreak travail with the joy of the Lord! “…for the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
- Lord, help us to look to the Holy Spirit for renewed strength for travail in our day break. Help us not to rely on whatever ability God gave us to travail in the night as we enter our daybreak.
- Lord, help us to know how to prepare / package those things which You birthed in us in the night for sending in the daybreak. Show us how to prepare our children to be usable in Your service.
- Lord, help us to be discerning of those brief windows of opportunity.
- Grant us wisdom to prioritise our travail at daybreak.
- Lord, help us to remember that our travail at daybreak will affect what happens during the day that is dawning – the coming revival, the Day of Your power.
What is our main travail at daybreak?
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (KJV)
- Trust in what God has done in us - we have been reborn in Christ: we are ready to be used!
- There are good works (travail) prepared beforehand.
- The paths to our individual areas of travail have been set.
- The life we are to live, the good life, He has prearranged and made ready for us.
- All we need to do is WALK in them! As we walk with the Lord Jesus, following Him, trusting and clinging steadfastly to Him and become conformed to His example of life and service, HIS WORK WILL BE DONE. God is the One who has wrought all our works in us (Isaiah 26:12).
- It is the day of GOD’s power and GOD has ALL His works planned out!
- Lord, help me to believe Your word in this daybreak, no matter what I see on the ground.
- Lord, help me to trust what You have wrought in me.
- Lead me to those good works You have prepared beforehand for me.
- Lord, lead me on the paths You have set for me in the daybreak and where You lead me, help me to follow.
- Lord, let me to walk with You in my daybreak.
“For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 40:5
“...the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8
