Dandelion Bible in a Year | Women & Men Thematic Reading Plan

Bible in a Year - Women’s Thematic Reading Plan | Day 22

Exodus 1:15-22: Shiphrah and Puah, Midwives Who Feared God

Day 22 of the Women’s Bible Plan: Read Exodus 1:15-22 and reflect on Shiphrah and Puah, two ordinary midwives who feared God and protected life in the face of Pharaoh’s cruel command. Through their courage and faithfulness, this devotional helps women see that even ordinary people, serving in ordinary places, can become part of God’s life-preserving work.

🌸 Dear Sister, welcome to Day 22 of our reading journey 🌸

Some acts of faithfulness do not happen on a public stage. They do not come with applause, titles, or visible recognition. Sometimes faithfulness happens in a hidden decision, a quiet refusal, a small act of courage, or a moment when a person chooses to obey God rather than fear people.

Exodus Chapter 1 introduces us to two women whose names Scripture preserves: Shiphrah and Puah. They were not queens, prophets, or leaders of armies. They were midwives. Yet when Pharaoh commanded them to kill the Hebrew baby boys, they feared God and refused to obey the king’s cruel order. Instead, they preserved the lives of the children.

In a time when death was commanded over the vulnerable, God used the reverence and courage of two ordinary women to protect life and prepare the way for a greater story of deliverance.

JANUARY 22 / Day 22

Shiphrah and Puah: Midwives Who Feared God

📖 Exodus 1:15-22

A Minute of Grace

Exodus Chapter 1 tells us that the children of Israel multiplied and became strong in Egypt. A new Pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, became afraid of their growing number and began to oppress them with hard labor. Yet the more they were afflicted, the more they multiplied, and the Egyptians became even more fearful.

In this dark setting, Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill the baby boys at birth and let the girls live. It was a horrifying command—an order aimed directly against life.

But Shiphrah and Puah feared God. They did not do as the king of Egypt commanded, but saved the male children alive. They had no army, no royal authority, and no high position in society. Yet in the place where God had placed them, they chose to stand on the side of God and life.

This passage is especially powerful because Scripture records the names of these two women, but not the name of that Pharaoh. In human eyes, Pharaoh held the greatest power. But in God’s sight, the ones remembered by name were the ordinary women who feared Him and protected life.

Today’s theme, “Shiphrah and Puah: Midwives Who Feared God,” invites us to reflect on this question: When we face pressure, fear, authority, or injustice, are we willing to fear God more than we fear people? We may not stand in the center of history, but God can still use our faithfulness in ordinary places to protect life, strengthen the weak, and uphold what is right.

Whispers for the Heart

1 Shiphrah and Puah were midwives, yet their choices protected many children’s lives. Have you ever felt that you are only an ordinary person, and that your work, voice, or choices do not matter very much? How does this passage remind you that ordinary faithfulness is not ordinary in God’s eyes?

2 Pharaoh’s command came with power and threat, but Shiphrah and Puah chose to fear God. Are there pressures in your life that tempt you to go against your conscience, compromise truth, or quietly accept injustice? Are you willing to ask God for courage to stand when it is time to stand?

3 Shiphrah and Puah protected the weakest and most voiceless—the newborn children. In your family, church, workplace, or community, are there vulnerable, wounded, overlooked, or voiceless people who need protection and support? Could God be calling you to use the position and ability you already have to guard life?

As you read Exodus 1:15-22 today, pay close attention to the heart of these two women. The passage does not focus on how powerful they were, but on how they feared God. God can use the courage of ordinary people to resist the command of death, and He can use quiet faithfulness to protect lives that may seem small but are precious to Him.

Take a quiet breath before you begin. Bring your fears, pressures, conscience struggles, and concern for the vulnerable before the Lord, and let His Word speak into them.

Today's Grace · Morning Dew 🕊️

“But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”

— Exodus 1:17

🎞️ Today's Youtube Video

🪕 Response Hymn: The Fear of the LORD Is the Beginning of Wisdom

Exodus 1:15-22 (KJV)

15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

A Quiet Moment of Prayer

✨ Thank you for walking through today’s Scripture with us, dear sister.

Exodus 1:15-22 shows us that Shiphrah and Puah were ordinary midwives, yet in the face of Pharaoh’s cruel command, they chose to fear God and protect life. Now, let us bring our own places of responsibility, daily choices, fears, pressures, and calling to guard life before the Lord in prayer. Fearing God and Protecting Life in Ordinary Places

Today’s Prayer Focus: Fearing God and Protecting Life in Ordinary Places

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Choosing the Fear of God in the Midst of Fear

Father, thank You for reminding me through Shiphrah and Puah that true courage is not the absence of fear, but the choice to fear You even in the presence of fear. They faced Pharaoh’s command, the pressure of power, and a situation that could have brought real danger. Yet they did not let fear become their final master.

Lord, I confess that I often fear people’s opinions, authority, conflict, loss, misunderstanding, or the cost of standing for truth. Give me a heart that fears You above all. Help me discern what pleases You in complicated situations. Keep me from acting recklessly, but give me wisdom and courage from You, so that when obedience is required, I will not shrink back; and when life must be protected, I will not remain silent. Amen.

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Seeing Spiritual Responsibility in Ordinary Work

Lord, Shiphrah and Puah were not famous figures, and their work may have seemed ordinary in human eyes. Yet in that ordinary place, they made a deeply important choice. Thank You for reminding me that the place where I stand today is not accidental. My home, work, ministry, relationships, words, and decisions may all become places where You work through me.

Help me not to despise my position or avoid responsibility because I feel ordinary. Teach me to be faithful in daily life, to fear You in small things, and to choose integrity even when no one else is watching. Open my eyes to see those around me who need protection, encouragement, and support. Help me use the strength and ability already in my hands to guard life, share grace, and bear witness to Your goodness. Amen.

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Interceding for Sisters

Father, I also pray for the many sisters around me who are faithfully serving in ordinary places. Some care for children and aging parents at home. Some quietly carry responsibilities in hospitals, schools, offices, churches, and communities. Some continue to choose honesty and kindness in difficult work environments. Some are standing watch over vulnerable people within their families.

Lord, strengthen them. Let them know that their faithfulness is not insignificant, and their choices are not unseen. Give them wisdom to discern, courage to stand, love to serve, and practical help for the burdens they carry. Surround them with spiritual companions so that they do not stand alone under pressure. May we encourage one another to fear God, protect life, and live faithfully in the places where You have set us. Amen.

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Praying for Threatened and Vulnerable Lives

Compassionate God, I also pray for places in the world where life is treated lightly, threatened, or oppressed. I pray for children suffering through war, poverty, violence, trafficking, exploitation, and injustice. I pray for mothers protecting their children in fear. I pray for people in high-pressure situations who are still choosing conscience, mercy, and what is right.

Lord, raise up more people like Shiphrah and Puah—people who fear You and choose to protect life in the face of dark commands. May the Church become a place that guards the vulnerable. May societies be marked by more justice and mercy. May the voiceless be heard and threatened lives be protected. Keep us from being mere observers. Shape us by Your love into people who protect life, resist darkness, and carry hope. Amen.

🪕 Response Hymn: The Fear of the LORD Is the Beginning of Wisdom

💡 Closing Thought · Guarding Life in a Small Place

After reading Exodus 1:15-22, we see that Shiphrah and Puah were not seated on a throne and did not hold public power. They were midwives. Yet in the face of a very dark command, they chose to fear God and protect life. Their faithfulness may have taken place in a small and ordinary setting, but God remembered it, and it became an unforgettable part of His deliverance story.

As we close this page and return to daily life, perhaps your place also feels small or unseen. Perhaps your choices are not noticed by many people. Perhaps you are simply caring for a family, holding a job, walking with a child, encouraging someone weak, or trying to do what is right in a difficult environment. Remember this: in God’s eyes, faithfulness in ordinary places is not ordinary. Every choice to fear God, every act that protects life, every moment of courage for the vulnerable carries spiritual weight.

May today’s Scripture remind you that you do not need great power to be used by God, and you do not need a public platform to make a difference. May God help you be faithful where you are, fear Him under pressure, keep a clear conscience in the dark, and become someone who guards life in ordinary days.

🎉🎉 Congratulations on completing today's devotion! 🎉🎉

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