Weekly Devotion

Exodus 1:8–2:10
Key Verse:
“But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live.” — Exodus 1:17

Monday — Power Looks Different in God’s Kingdom
Pharaoh has the title, authority, and resources. Yet God works through people Pharaoh barely notices: Shiphrah and Puah, Moses’ mother, his sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter.
None of them can change everything, but each can do something. God does not ask us to control the whole story. God asks us to be faithful with what has been placed in our hands.

Action: Identify one place where you have influence. Ask: How can I use what I have for life and goodness?

Prayer: God, help me recognize the power you have given me and use it faithfully. Amen.

Tuesday — When Fear Drives Power
Pharaoh’s oppression begins with fear. He imagines the Hebrew people as a threat, and fear becomes cruelty.
Fear can do the same thing in us. It can turn neighbors into threats and make protecting ourselves more important than loving others.

Action: Notice when fear shapes your response to someone today. Pray: “God, help me see this person as my neighbor, not my threat.”

Prayer: God, teach me to respond with faith instead of fear. Amen.

Wednesday — The Courage to Say No
Shiphrah and Puah cannot overthrow Pharaoh, but they can refuse to become his instruments.
Sometimes faithfulness begins with a holy no.
They trusted God’s power more than Pharaoh’s, and that trust gave them courage to choose life.

Action: Is there something harmful or unjust that faithfulness requires you to resist? Ask God for courage to do the right thing.

Prayer: God, give me courage to resist what harms others and remain faithful to you. Amen.

Thursday — Compassion Interrupts
Pharaoh’s daughter knows her father’s command. Yet when she sees the crying Hebrew child, she responds with compassion.
She does not know what God will eventually do through Moses. She simply sees someone vulnerable and acts.
Sometimes faithfulness is that simple: Here is someone I can help.

Action: Look for one person who needs encouragement, kindness, or practical help today. Respond with compassion.

Prayer: God, open my eyes to the people around me and help me respond with love. Amen.

Friday — Do the Next Faithful Thing
None of these women know how the story will end. They do not know about the burning bush, the Red Sea, or Mount Sinai.
They simply do the next faithful thing.
We may not know what God will do with our actions either. Faithfulness does not require us to see the whole story. It asks us to act faithfully in the part we can see.

Action: Choose one faithful step you have been postponing. Take it today, and trust God with what comes next.

Closing Prayer
God of life, thank you for working through ordinary people. Forgive us when fear controls us or when we underestimate what you can do through us. Give us courage to resist what harms, compassion to help those in need, and faith to take the next faithful step. Teach us to use what you have placed in our hands for your purposes and for the good of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
 
Carry This Question With You

What power has God placed in my hands, and how can I use it for life?