When the LORD reveals his Presence to Moses in the 34th Chapter of Exodus, he proclaims that he abounds in love and faithfulness, as captured by the Hebrew word hesed.

When I think of examples of hesed, I think of my mother watching over me and protecting me as I waited for my school bus when I was in Kindergarten and First Grade.

She watched out the kitchen window.

She was always there, making sure I was safe.

As I waited for my school bus, I would stand alone on the side of the road, waving at her vigorously.

One morning, a man in a car stopped beside me. He started talking to me.

My mother sprang out of the house! As she marched toward me, she yelled at the man, “What are you doing?!”.

He roared away.

We’ve never known if he meant me harm. Or if he was a Good Samaritan who thought I was waving at him to stop and help me.

But my mother didn’t take any chances.

Unlike my mother, the LORD knows for certain if I am in danger. But like my mother, he is always watching over me. He never slumbers nor sleeps. (Psalm 121:1-8).

If I’m in danger, the LORD springs into action to protect me.

As King David knew, the LORD is like a Good Shepherd—and like a good mother.

The LORD’s love and faithfulness—his hesed—are like a rod and a staff. They always watch over me and protect me, even as I walk through the darkest valley. (Psalm 23:1,4).

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For more of my thoughts about my mother showing hesed, please read my blogs “My Mother Watching for My Bus” and “My Mother Noticing I Didn’t Get Off My Bus”.

For more of my thoughts about the hesed of the LORD God, please read my blogs “The Hesed of the LORD Endures Forever”, “Hesed Saves and Nurtures Baby Moses”, “Hesed Saves Israel—Passover”, “Hesed Nurtures Israel—From the Red Sea to Mount Sinai”, “Hesed Nurtures Israel—Mount Sinai”, “Hesed Establishes the Work of Moses’s Hands—Mount Nebo”, “Hesed Blesses Forever—David”, “Walking Humbly With Hesed—Micah”, “Hoping in Hesed—Jeremiah”, “Hesed Returns Israel to Jerusalem”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—The Vision of Isaiah”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Fulfilling the Law of Moses and the Prophets”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Sowing the Ideals of the Law of Moses and the Prophets”, and “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Saving Lost Sheep, Lost Coins, and Lost Sons”.

For more about my mother, please read my blog “My Mother’s Preaching and Teaching” and the passage “Moses’ Mother Saves Him” in my book The Promised Land, at pages 81-82, together with its endnotes 1 & 2 about my own mother.