For You From The Word
The midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. (Exodus 1:17)
For You To Think About
Imagine delivering a Hebrew baby in ancient Egypt: no hospitals, no doctors, no medications, no sterilized linens, no medical instruments. A woman might go into labor while building bricks or in the hot sun or in the damp darkness of a dirt hovel late at night. Even more frightening, the king had commanded that newborn boys be killed. Terrified mothers feared losing their babies not only to childbirth complications but to the threat of oppression.
Thankfully, the Hebrew midwives feared God more than the king. They risked their own lives by refusing to kill any baby. The midwives demonstrated enormous courage.
Today, pregnant women face different kinds of fears. Forced abortions can end the life of their child. Partners or family members threaten rejection. Financial constraints prohibit medical care or quality of life after delivery.
God rarely asks us to go to that extreme faced by the ancient Hebrew midwives – to risk our lives to support one of these women. We face a different kind of risk: the risk of discomfort.
But think of the outcome. In taking the risk to walk with a hurting pregnant woman, you can play a key role in helping her to choose life and save her baby.
For You To Pray
Loving Father,
Thank You for the example You have given us in the ancient Hebrew midwives. Help me stretch myself. Move my heart to move from my own comfort to have compassion for a pregnant woman and courage to support her.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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