People in The Bible, You Might Not Know

Devotional

Day 1: Midwives’ Defiant Whisper

The king’s command hung thick: kill every Hebrew boy. But Shiphrah and Puah gripped their tools tighter. These midwives delivered life daily—hands bloodied, hearts tethered to mothers’ cries. When Pharaoh demanded death, they chose trembling obedience to a higher throne. Their lie to power—“Hebrew women birth too fast!”—became holy rebellion. God blessed their courage with families, weaving their small defiance into His liberation story. [07:27]

Shiphrah and Puah’s fear of God outweighed their fear of empire. They understood true power resides not in crowns but in the Creator who numbers every hair. Their “no” to Pharaoh’s evil preserved a nation—including the baby Moses, who’d one day split the sea.

Where is God asking you to whisper “no” to compromise today? What seemingly small act of integrity could ripple into eternity?

“The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ‘When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth […] kill the boys but let the girls live.’ But the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.”
(Exodus 1:15-17, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God for courage to choose integrity over convenience in one specific situation today.
Challenge: Text a friend about one area where you need accountability to obey God this week.

Day 2: Reverence That Reorders

Pharaoh’s soldiers could’ve stormed their homes. But Shiphrah and Puah feared God’s smile more than Egypt’s sword. Their “yare”—Hebrew for awe-struck reverence—wasn’t cowering terror but laser-focused loyalty. Like a child gripping a parent’s hand in a storm, their souls clung to God’s character. This holy fear dissolved Pharaoh’s threats into background noise. [18:17]

True reverence reshapes priorities. When we grasp God’s goodness—His rescue from our own “Egypts”—obedience becomes delight, not duty. The midwives’ story proves God honors those who honor Him, even when the cost seems high.

What habit or relationship would shift if you saw God as your truest audience?

“The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do.”
(Exodus 1:17, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve feared others’ opinions more than God’s.
Challenge: Write “YARE” on your wrist; each time you see it, whisper “I revere You alone, God.”

Day 3: Traffic Jams and Temple Work

The fourth grader prays for missing cats. The mom reads Psalms over burnt toast. The salesman shares Christ mid-deal. Like Shiphrah mixing herbs for laboring mothers, we honor God in the grind. Paul said it plainly: “Work as for the Lord.” Even Pharaoh’s cruelty couldn’t stop midwives from doing their daily work with holy defiance. [10:44]

God hallows the mundane. Your cubicle, carpool lane, or kitchen sink become altars when done in His name. Each small obedience trains us for bigger kingdom assignments.

What routine task could you reclaim as worship this week?

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
(Colossians 3:23, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three “ordinary” parts of your job or home life.
Challenge: Silently pray “For You, Jesus” before starting three routine tasks today.

Day 4: Setting the Thermostat

Nathan stood in the dark theater, popcorn abandoned. The screen’s glow revealed compromise; his “we’re leaving” reset their family’s standards. Like Shiphrah modeling courage for Puah, parents and leaders set spiritual temperatures. Every “this isn’t us” moment—whether turning off a show or apologizing first—builds a legacy of holy habits. [28:08]

Homes and hearts thrive at God’s chosen climate. When we flee even the “appearance of evil,” we protect our capacity to host His presence.

What cultural “normal” have you tolerated that God wants you to reject?

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:15, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to highlight one media choice or conversation pattern to change.
Challenge: Delete one app/show from your devices that dulls your spiritual sensitivity.

Day 5: Cat Prayers and Cosmic Stories

Six years of children’s prayers for missing pets. A salesman’s gospel boldness during a million-dollar deal. Shiphrah’s “no” preserving Moses’ future yes. God stitches our small obediences into His grand tapestry. The midwives couldn’t see the Red Sea parting, but their faithfulness fueled the Exodus. [37:43]

Never underestimate kingdom math: five loaves + two fish = multitudes fed. Your today’s “yes” might nourish someone’s tomorrow miracle.

Who’s watching your faithfulness, even when you feel unnoticed?

“So God was kind to the midwives […] and He gave them families of their own.”
(Exodus 1:20-21, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three “small” faithful people who shaped your faith.
Challenge: Encourage someone younger by sharing how their consistency inspires you.

Sermon Summary

We tell the story of Shiphrah and Puah as a call to ordinary obedience. We watch Pharaoh command state violence and see midwives refuse because they fear the Lord. We say that fear here does not mean terror but reverence, awe, and deep respect that orients every choice. We insist that everyday tasks become sacred chances to honor God, whether in work emails, traffic, parenting, or leisure choices.

We press into the idea that faithfulness in small moments prepares others for large moments. We note how steady obedience in a family or workplace trains children and colleagues, equips the next generation, and creates unseen openings for God to act. We urge proximity to God as the practical route to discernment. We explain that daily time with God makes his voice recognizable, fills us with fruit like patience and self control, and makes obedience easier.

We call out the duty to flee even the appearance of evil and to set the moral temperature for those around us. We challenge the choice to tolerate questionable content or behavior and instead to be proactive in protecting households and communities. We lift examples where ordinary courage bore fruit: midwives preserved life, a husband chose to leave a film, and a sales rep spoke truth at a negotiating table. We remind that God remembers the faithful by name, even when human history assigns more power to rulers. We press that choosing life looks like small, repeated acts of alignment with Christ.

We invite practical repentance and action in the present. We ask that we stop bargaining with conscience and offer up the moments we wrestle with. We urge handing those struggles to God, asking for transformation, and practicing obedience in the mundane. We believe everyday obedience matters for revival, kingdom growth, and the salvation of the next generation. We conclude with an invitation to bring these wrestled choices to the altar and experience the grace that helps us obey.

Key Takeaways

1. Faithfulness in the ordinary moments We cultivate holiness not in dramatic events but in the thousand small choices each day. We treat work, home, and habit as fields for obedience so that our routine becomes holy ground. We recognize that these small acts compound and create openings for God to act in bigger ways. [12:16]
2. Reverent fear of the Lord We understand fear of the Lord as Yare, a reverent awe that compels alignment with God. We let love and worship, not punishment, drive our obedience and shape our decisions. We allow this awe to reorder priorities so fear of displeasing God outweighs fear of losing approval. [18:17]
3. Proximity to God sharpens discernment We practice daily conversation with God so his voice becomes familiar when choices arise. We depend on that proximity to recognize warnings, to muster patience, and to act with clarity under pressure. We trust that time with God produces the fruit that enables consistent obedience. [22:34]
4. We set the moral temperature We accept responsibility to shape the environment where we live, work, and lead. We act decisively to remove corrosive content and behaviors rather than excuse them for convenience or liking. We model boundaries that protect others and teach what holiness looks like in practice. [25:27]
5. Choose life through small acts We make daily decisions that prefer life and alignment with Christ over short pleasures or approval. We see these choices as seeds sown into the future of our children, families, and communities. We commit to habits that preserve spiritual life and trust God to use them in larger redemptive work. [36:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:35] - Kids ministry and Mother's Day
[04:16] - Series: lesser known Bible people
[06:24] - Pharaoh's order and scripture reading
[09:23] - Honoring God in daily work
[15:40] - Fear of the Lord explained
[20:19] - Proximity to God and discernment
[23:11] - Flee appearance of evil and set temperature
[34:40] - Midwives remembered by name
[38:29] - Invitation to respond and pray

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Exodus 1:15-17 (ESV)
Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

Colossians 3:23 (ESV)
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 (ESV)
Abstain from every form of evil.

Observation Questions

What specific command did Pharaoh give the midwives, and how did they respond?
According to the sermon, how is "fear of the Lord" (Exodus 1:17) defined differently from a phobia or terror? [18:17]
What practical examples were given of honoring God in "everyday shuffle" moments like work emails or traffic? [09:23]
How does proximity to God help believers discern His voice in daily choices? [22:34]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Pharaoh’s command to kill Hebrew boys have seemed like a "small" act of disobedience for the midwives to ignore? How does this relate to modern "ordinary" moral choices?
The sermon argues that "fear of the Lord" reorders priorities so that pleasing God outweighs others’ approval. How might this shift in priorities change someone’s decisions at work or home?
How do seemingly insignificant daily habits (e.g., prayer, media choices) "set the moral temperature" for families or communities? [25:27]
The midwives’ actions preserved life and positioned Moses to be born. How might small acts of faithfulness today create openings for God’s larger redemptive work?

Application Questions

What is one "everyday shuffle" moment this week (e.g., a frustrating email, commute, or family interaction) where you can consciously choose to honor God? How will you prepare for it?
Are there areas where you tolerate "questionable" content or behavior for convenience? What practical step could you take to "flee the appearance of evil" in those areas? [24:07]
How can you intentionally create "proximity to God" this week (e.g., prayer routines, Scripture reading) to better recognize His voice in pressured moments?
The sermon shared a story about leaving a movie due to harmful content. When have you faced a similar choice? What made it hard, and how might you respond differently now? [27:00]
What is one way you can "set the moral temperature" in your home, workplace, or friendships this month? How will you model holiness in a tangible way?
The midwives’ names were remembered by God. What small, repeated act of obedience do you want God to remember about your life? How will you start today?

Sermon Clips

And I will never the what he said will stick with me for probably the rest of my life. He said, Kristen, when your fear of the Lord is greater than your fear of not being liked, you will unlock obedience. And he said, you're worrying too much about them liking you. He said, I I I would have walked away from that deal. [00:32:52] (21 seconds) #FearGodOverApproval

And God sees you when you are struggling and wrestling with God in these moments of obedience. Sometimes it's hard to let go of those things that you know that God is calling you to be obedient in that place to stop consuming that content or start acting as stop acting a certain way. You're wrestling with that and God sees you and he's with you wrestling there. Right? And I'm just gonna invite you today to just let it go. Let it go and let God help you be obedient in that moment. Give it over to him. Ask, you know, it's not gonna you're not gonna surprise God. There's no surprising God with the things that you're wrestling with. Right? So bring him into the conversation. Invite him in, and just see how he will transform that moment. [00:35:14] (44 seconds) #LetGoLetGod

If you have not been prompted from that or if you have not had that, you will soon. And in your heart, if you have been spending time with God and you have the scent of the Holy Spirit on you, you will feel a stir a stirring in your heart that will tell you, I shouldn't be here. I need to get out of here. And scripture is clear. Flee from even the appearance of evil. Even if it is the appearance of evil, you will not you know, even if it's like, the scripture doesn't have a hard line rule about this one thing, and then should I? You won't regret the things that you didn't do. [00:24:21] (32 seconds) #FleeEvenTheAppearance

You know, Shifra and Puer didn't realize that they were a part of a story. And so the same way that God used Joseph's suffering and pain to position him, God used Shifra's and Puah's obedience to position them in a much bigger story. Right? Because the way that they honored God and let the babies live, it led to the Hebrews growing in further numbers. You know, they weren't the ones that parted the Red Sea, and you might not have a mountaintop moment like that. But their actions led to the Hebrew numbers growing so much that the pharaoh started coming down harder and harder on them and God was protecting them. [00:36:37] (44 seconds) #SmallActsBigImpact

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People in The Bible, You Might Not Know

Devotional

Day 1: Midwives’ Defiant Whisper

Day 2: Reverence That Reorders

Day 3: Traffic Jams and Temple Work

Day 4: Setting the Thermostat

Day 5: Cat Prayers and Cosmic Stories

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

People in The Bible, You Might Not Know

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