Do you fill out a planner every week and get completely frustrated when your plans seem to take a different turn? Have you ever thought maybe it was God “turning” your plans in a different direction? We fill our planners mindlessly with our tasks and duties for the week and soon our week or month is full of small activities. Sometimes we even make really big plans to add to our planner and we think everyone should drop what they are doing and go along with our plan. We think our plans are always best. However, that is not always the case. Which brings me to Pharaoh in the book of Exodus.
Pharaoh had a big plan to kill all boy babies born to Hebrew women. Now, I am sure Pharaoh did not have a planner but I am sure if he would have had one, killing the innocent babies would have been at the top of his to- do list. This plan would benefit him, he expected everyone to go along with it and he thought it was the best plan. Sometimes we can be Pharaohs. Sometimes we push to make our plans work. In those times we are not only pushing other people but we are pushing against God. Sometimes all it takes is one person and one BIG GOD to turn our plans. That is what happened to Pharaoh and his big plan. There were two midwives and the one God that would stand against Pharaoh’s plan.
Shiphrah and Puah were two midwives during the time of Pharaoh’s rule. The bible says in Exodus 1:16 “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.” But in the very next verse the bible says Shiphrah and Puah feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded, but saved the men children.
If Shiphrah and Puah had of had a planner, they would have written down their duties as a midwife for the week. But as they heard about Pharaoh’s plan, their plans seemed to take a different turn. God was turning their plans and presenting them with an opportunity to actively seek Him. The difference in these women and us sometimes is that they decided to performed their duties in a way that honored God. Shiphrah and Puah refused to defy God and take part in infanticide. Even though our plans may not seem harmful or we do not think the plans would undermine God; small decisions made without prayer could add up to us participating in a big plan that does not please God.
After these strong women did not obey Pharaoh, he was not pleased; but that did not matter to Shiphrah and Puah. They were only interested in upholding God’s standards, not Pharaoh’s. Shiphrah and Puah defied Pharaoh’s higher earthly authority, yet fulfilled God’s will even though there was a huge chance that they would be punished by Pharaoh. Those fears did not stop them; they knew what Pharaoh was asking of them was wrong. God gave them to strength to stand for Him way back then and He will do the same for us today.
No human plan can undermine God’s will. Pharaoh’s plan could not weaken the strong will of Shiphrah and Puah, neither could Pharaoh’s plan weaken the plan God had for those babies who were saved. When we obey God, we demonstrate that we fear Him far more than we fear the disapproval of man.
We will be ridiculed and we will be judged for standing on our faith and doing what is right. But wouldn’t you rather be judged by the world than by our God? Our duties we have jotted down in our planner every week are just opportunities in which we can choose to glorify God. Shiphrah and Puah refused to defy God in their daily duties and so should we.
Seek God first in every way throughout your planned duties this week. Shiphrah and Puah’s actions literally saved lives but you never know who’s live you might save by showing them the love of God. In the Hebrew language, Yarè’ means to have reverence for or stand in awe of our God. I know I want to stand in awe of my God. I want to give more honor and respect for the Lord than any earthly source of authority just as Shiphrah and Puah did. God is power over all, yet he loves and gives each and every one of us the wisdom and strength to follow His plan. That should make us stand in awe of our God.
"God blesses those who live righteously and seek first His Kingdom." Matthew 6:33
I pray that each of us can begin to look at our plans in a different way and realize that no matter what we have planned, God’s plan will be far greater in the end if we continue to praise Him along the way!
