Day 3: My Identity is Wrapped Up in Jesus
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
EXODUS 1:15-17; 1:20-21
But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.
The king of Egypt was afraid of the children of Israel. We always need to remember this is how the enemy feels about us. The enemy is afraid of us, the children of God, so he oppresses us because he knows that we are mighty in God.
Shiphrah and Puah risked being put to death by the king of Egypt but they chose to fear God instead of the king. They did what is right in the eyes of God and God never allowed them to be killed. In fact, God prospered them.
Oftentimes, we think the call to faith only happens in the extraordinary and in dire needs. We forget that as a child of God, faith is a lifestyle and we are called to it most especially in the ordinary.
Culture and norms of society often require us to compromise on our beliefs and to sway to the pressure of the world to conform. But we are called to live above the standards of the world. We are called to live out our identity — a child of God hidden in the identity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we choose not to conform to the pressures of the world, when we live above its standards, we can be assured that the God who protected and prospered Shiphrah and Puah will also protect and prosper us.
Reflection Question:
Do you know that as a born again child of God, your identity is hidden in the identity of Jesus Christ, which means you have the approval of your Father in heaven and that you don’t need to sway to the pressures of the world to prosper in life?
Radical Faith in Action:
Be convinced that God is your Good Father who approves of you because Jesus had cleansed you with His blood. Whenever you feel the pressure to compromise in favor of the world’s standards, remind yourself that you are God’s beloved wrapped up in the glory of His Son, Jesus Christ. Remind yourself that because you are in Jesus, you don’t need to live in fear of anyone against heaven’s standards. Declare over and over again: “My identity is wrapped up in Jesus Christ, Amen!”