January 6, 2025 • 19 mins
Did you know you have a unique and vital role in God’s masterpiece? From seemingly small acts to courageous decisions, God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. The women in Moses’ life—midwives, mothers, sisters, and even Pharaoh’s daughter—each played a key role in fulfilling God’s grand plan, demonstrating how faithfulness in our daily tasks can lead to incredible outcomes.
Join host Jodie Chiricosta as she explores these inspiring stories and unpacks how you, too, are part of God’s intricate design. Through scripture and powerful examples, discover how saying “Yes!” to God’s call transforms your life and helps fulfill His eternal purposes. No matter how small your role may seem, God’s plan for you is significant, and His work is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Tune in and be inspired to embrace your place in God’s extraordinary story!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast where you will always hear a good
(00:04):
story to encourage and inspire you in your walk with God.
I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and International,
author and traveler on this journey of faith.
I want to thank my faithful listeners who have supported our Widow and Orphan Fund.
From time to time, I share stories of those we've helped through that fund and I'm blessed
(00:25):
to be able to share one with you now.
Lois lost her husband Paul recently when he was hit by a speeding van as he was making
ministry visits on his motorcycle in Kenya, leaving behind Lois and his three teenage
daughters.
Paul was the director of a seminary located in a rural area that trained village pastors.
Lois left her job and life in Nairobi when they married not quite two years ago.
(00:50):
Tragedy is not a stranger to his three girls who lost their mother from an extended illness
when they were young, but God graciously brought Lois into their lives before calling their
father home.
Lois who's in her early 30s is now the sole caregiver of these three girls.
While they still have a home and the cost of living in rural Kenya is fairly low, roughly
(01:10):
only $300 a month, her $25 a month income from working in the seminary kitchen is really
not enough to support them.
But thanks to many of you, we are providing Lois and her girls a safety net by supporting
them monthly for a full year.
She is overwhelmed with appreciation and relief knowing they can survive while they process
(01:32):
their grief and seek the Lord for direction.
Please pray for Lois and the girls as they continue walking through this very difficult
season.
We know God's watching over them and he's using us as a part of their care.
So thank you.
This new year is the year the Lord has made, so let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(01:55):
I expect to see God doing great things this year.
Of course, he's always at work, but often we don't see or recognize what he's doing.
This year, however, I believe the veil is coming off our eyes, so we will recognize the amazing,
amazing things he is doing in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
And whatever God does, we can be sure that his work will turn out a masterpiece.
(02:19):
The 18th century English writer and polymath John Ruskin said, When love and skill work
together, expect a masterpiece.
And dear ones, there is no one more loving or more skilled than our great God.
One of my all-time favorite scriptures is Ephesians 2-10.
I'll read primarily from the New Living Translation in this episode today, and that verse reads,
(02:45):
For we are God's masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us
long ago.
I just love that.
God was thinking about you and he was thinking about me long before we were even born.
And he has planned good things for us to do.
He has good things for you and me to do this very year.
(03:10):
It fits with another one of my favorite scriptures, Jeremiah 29-11, which reads, For I know the
plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to
give you a future and a hope.
Now I want to give you a little context here.
God made that promise to the Israelites when many of them were exiles in Babylon living
under a cruel and harsh overlord.
(03:33):
Those who were still living in Jerusalem were awaiting death and destruction from the Babylonian
army that was ravaging every nation around them.
In the midst of very confusing and even terrifying times, God said he has good plans for them.
Of course, verses 12 and 13 of Jeremiah 29 tell us how those plans will come about.
(03:54):
In those days when you pray, I will listen.
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
So really, no matter what the circumstances are around you and us, when we look to the
Lord wholeheartedly and pray to Him, His good plans are worked out for us.
And we have a role in that.
Doing the good works He created in advance for us to do.
(04:18):
And God's good works that we do make a difference.
How can that be, you might ask?
You might say, I'm just a mom, just a nurse, just a wife.
I just have an insignificant job in the grand scheme of things.
But let's take a step back and look at God's grand masterpiece, which is the Body of Christ.
We are each individually a masterpiece, certainly, but the Body of Christ together is God's
(04:42):
amazing masterpiece that has inner workings that will only be understood in eternity.
The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, 12, 14 through 18 and 27 explains this a little.
The human body has many parts.
But the many parts make up one whole body, so it is with the Body of Christ.
Yes, the body has many parts, not just one part.
(05:05):
If the foot says, I'm not a part of the body because I'm not a hand, that does not make
it any less a part of the body.
And if the ear says, I'm not a part of the body because I'm not an eye, would that make
it any less a part of the body?
If the whole body were an eye, how could we hear?
Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
(05:26):
But our body has many parts, and God has put each one just where He wants it.
All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it.
So if Jesus is Lord of your life and you are part of God's wonderful masterpiece, the Body
of Christ, you might think your part is small or unimportant, but it's not.
(05:50):
It is very important in God's overall plan of redemption.
To illustrate this point, let's look at the life of Moses.
And since this podcast is her God story, we're going to look at the women God placed in Moses'
life.
Their critical roles in the plan of God to release the children of Israel out of bondage
struck me recently as my husband and I were reading in the book of Exodus together one
(06:13):
morning.
There are several women who played seemingly ordinary roles in Moses' life, but what they
did had significant spiritual implications in God's plan to use Moses to lead the children
of Israel out of slavery and right up to the Promised Land.
Without these women and the good works they each did, Moses would likely not have survived
(06:36):
to do the good works God had prepared him to do.
As I share about these women, you'll notice that most live seemingly insignificant lives
in the grand scheme of history.
We're not even told the names of several of them until later in Scripture, and one still
remains unnamed today.
Four of them were slaves.
Only one of them ever steps into a leadership role.
(06:58):
And even though many people would not consider them important, God thinks otherwise.
He records their deeds in the Bible so their good works will be known and can be emulated
throughout time.
If you see yourself insignificant, hopefully their stories will help you see how precious
and important you are to God, and how you are a part of the masterpiece he's working
(07:21):
on in our day.
The first woman God used in Moses' life is unsurprisingly his mother.
We read in Exodus 2 that a man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married.
The woman, who's unnamed at this point, has a son, Moses.
The thing is, they were slaves in Egypt, and Pharaoh had decreed that all male babies born
(07:42):
to Israelites were to be killed.
At first, Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives, Shippurah and Pua, to kill baby boys as soon
as they were born.
But these two brave women did not obey that ungodly order at risk of their own lives.
We do not know which of them assisted in Moses' birth, but whichever one it was kept the secret
(08:04):
of his birth from the Egyptians, they stood against evil, which is one of the good works
God has called them to do.
And in doing so, they were used by God to protect Moses when he was most vulnerable.
So he could fulfill the destiny God had for him.
Once Pharaoh realized the midwives were not killing the male babies, he ordered the Egyptians
(08:25):
to throw Hebrew baby boys into the Nile River.
So Moses' mom, who we later find out is named Jokabed, hid him as any mother would.
She hid him for three months, but then it was no longer possible to hide him.
Maybe she had to go back to work as a slave, and her Egyptian overlords would see that
Moses was a boy.
Maybe he was louder, and the neighbors were beginning to get curious.
(08:48):
Whatever the reason, it seems that word got out about baby Moses.
In her desperation, God gave her an idea.
She waterproofed a basket, put Moses inside, and laid it in the reeds along the Nile.
I can only imagine that she intended to go back every chance she could to feed and care
for him.
So she left her daughter behind to watch over him from a distance.
(09:13):
As her daughter, who is also unnamed at this point, watches, she sees Pharaoh's daughter
discover the basket and Moses inside.
Pharaoh's daughter knew well her father's edict, that male Hebrew boys were to be killed.
But she had compassion on Moses.
When Moses' sister realizes the princess will have mercy on Moses, she creatiously approaches
(09:38):
and offers to find a nursemaid for the baby.
Since the princess had not given birth to Moses, she had no way of feeding the child
herself, but she had decided to adopt him, so the princess readily agreed and sent the
girl off to get a nursemaid.
Of course, she comes back with Moses' mother, Jokabed, who was then able to nurture and
care for Moses openly under the protection of Pharaoh's daughter until he's weaned.
(10:03):
He's then given back to Pharaoh's daughter, who we can confidently assume made sure he
received all the education available to the leading figures in the land from the very best
instructors.
And based on Moses' actions as an adult, I believe she also passed on her compassionate
heart to him.
Nothing is detailed in the Bible about that period in Moses' life, but as he grew into
(10:26):
manhood, we know he had freedom to go wherever he liked in Egypt, so he was well thought
of by the Egyptians.
At least until he killed one of them for beating an Israelite.
Then Pharaoh wanted his head, and Moses had to flee.
Moses ended up in Midian, a stranger in a strange land.
The Midianites thought he was an Egyptian by the way he looked, dressed, and talked.
(10:49):
And when he saw men harassing some Sheppartuses by the water trough, he came to their aid,
and he eventually married one of them, Zipporah.
Zipporah was the daughter of the priest of Midian, Raoel.
Interestingly, Raoel is the Hebrew word meaning friend of God.
Based on his daughter's knowledge of God's ways, which I'll explain in a minute, one
(11:12):
might assume that Raoel was a priest of the Lord our God, not some false God.
Zipporah and Moses had two sons, and they were living a quiet life together in Midian
for about 40 years.
Then God sent Moses back to Egypt to free the Israelites from slavery.
So Moses, Zipporah, and her two sons set out for Egypt.
(11:36):
However, when they stopped along the way one night, Exodus 424 says, the Lord confronted
him, that is Moses, and was about to kill him.
But Zipporah intervened.
She circumcised her son in accordance with the covenant that God had made with Abraham.
Somehow she knew the importance of the covenant, even if Moses did not.
(11:58):
Apparently, Moses missed that lesson when he was growing up under the tutelage of his
Egyptian teachers.
So Zipporah interceded for him and took action to put things right.
I'm sure in the heat of the moment, Moses agreed with anything she was doing if it would
spare his life.
That was a real life lesson for Moses he would never forget, thanks to Zipporah and
her intercession.
(12:18):
Once the children of Israel were freed from Egypt, he had over a million people looking
to him for direction, protection, provision of just about everything.
This generation had never lived in the desert like their forefathers.
They never governed themselves, and they did not really know the Lord their God, who had
defeated all the so-called gods of Egypt.
So the burden and pressure on Moses was immense.
(12:41):
And while God did raise up some godly men to help in various capacities, once again,
Moses' sister, who we now learn is Miriam, was at his side as well.
She became a leader in the community, helping guide the women as Exodus 15, 20, and 21 shows.
She was a prophetess, who, it seems, provided counsel for many in the camp, including, likely,
(13:04):
even her brother Moses.
Micah 6.4 tells us that the Lord raised up Miriam to help Moses.
And although she was disciplined by the Lord when she criticized Moses at one point, Moses
found her help indispensable and pleaded with God to heal her.
And the Lord did.
God used plenty of men in Moses' life, too, but each of these women played a crucial role
(13:27):
in God's overarching plan of freeing the Israelites from slavery and bringing them to the Promised
Land.
In the beginning, they had no idea God was planning to use Moses in that way.
But they each did the good work God had called them to do, and God brought his masterful
plan together into being.
Jokabed was a caring, nurturing, and protective mother.
(13:48):
That was God's good work for her in that season.
She stepped out in faith when she put Moses in the basket in the Nile, and God made a
way for her to complete the work he'd called her to do.
Shepra and Pua stood against evil, saving not only Moses' life but undoubtedly other
young Israelite boys as well.
Even Pharaoh's daughter played a role.
(14:10):
She likely had no concept of who the true God was, but God had given her a compassionate
heart which allowed her to also be used to protect Moses.
And see that he received the education he would eventually need to lead the people out
of slavery and form them into a nation.
Zopora was a caring wife and mother who followed Moses in faith to Egypt and interceded for
(14:35):
his life and his destiny.
And Miriam obeyed her mother when she was young and courageously approached a powerful
adversary with a solution to her problem.
She played the advocate which allowed Moses to be cared for by his mother and developed
some affinity to his own people.
Then many years later, Miriam stepped in to his side again, speaking prophetic words and
(14:55):
counsel that supported Moses as he led the children of Israel through the desert to the
Promised Land.
They all played an important part, just like parts of a body working together, even though
they probably did not understand it at that time or in that way.
They each had a role in God's plan and he created a masterpiece that we still remember
and learn from today.
(15:16):
But each of us also has a role in the masterpiece God is creating in our day.
He still needs those who are willing to be nurturing and protective of the vulnerable,
those who will stand strong against evil, those who will raise up the next generation
with compassion, those who will intercede and teach others God's ways, those who will
(15:38):
courageously offer solutions to challenging problems and lead with integrity and wisdom,
and so many others who do unique roles God has expertly equipped them to do.
Do you see yourself in any of those roles?
Or maybe another?
If not seek the Lord and continue to do the small daily good works he's called you to
(15:58):
do.
And as you look back over this year and over your life, you'll see how God has used them
in his masterpiece to do something magnificent.
God has a place for you in his masterpiece.
Just say yes to his plan.
I said yes to God's plan years ago when I was in graduate school.
He asked me to get involved in reaching the children of a low income community nearby.
(16:22):
I did not want to go at first.
I had no desire whatsoever.
But as I hesitantly stepped out in obedience, God changed my heart and the trajectory of
my life, taking me around the world to provide humanitarian aid and the gospel to people who
desperately need to know a tangible expression of his love.
What will he do with your yes?
(16:43):
Let me pray with you.
Heavenly Father, you are our Creator God and you are doing a great work in our times.
And I join with the Apostle Paul's prayer from Colossians 1, 9-11, and I ask you to fulfill
our dear listening friends with the knowledge of your will through all the wisdom and understanding
(17:06):
that the Spirit gives so that they may live a life worthy of you, God, and please you in
every way.
May they bear fruit in every good work.
May they grow in the knowledge of God.
May they be strengthened with all power according to your glorious might so that they may have
great endurance and patience and joyfully give thanks to you, Father, because you have qualified
(17:29):
us to share in the great inheritance you have in store for your holy people.
And Father, as they move forward this year, may they see your hand at work on their behalf
in new and remarkable ways that bring the breakthroughs and freedom they need to fully
engage in all you have for them.
It's in Jesus' name I pray and I thank you, Father, that you hear and answer our prayers.
(17:53):
Amen.
You know, dear friends, there are other widows like Lois as well as orphans all over the
world who need to experience that tangible expression of God's love right now.
Many have special needs that we as a company of women can meet together.
Maybe this is one of the good works God's calling you to be a part of.
I urge you to prayerfully consider what he's asking you to do.
(18:14):
James 1.27 tells us that pure religion in the sight of God means caring for the orphans
and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
This might be a first step for you.
Would you join us with a special gift to help?
Just go to hergodstory.org and click on the Widow and Orphan tab at the top of the page.
Thank you for tuning in.
(18:36):
In our show notes at hergodstory.org you'll find scriptures and other information we talked
about.
You can also get a six-week devotional on Women of the Bible to download for free.
It'll be a great way to start your year.
Or you may want to purchase the 12-week devotional for just $12 knowing that all the proceeds
will go to our Widow and Orphan fund.
(18:56):
We'd love to pray with you on our 24-7 prayer and text line.
Call us anytime at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer at somebodycares.org.
And now dear friends, I bless you today from Jeremiah 2911.
May you know the plans God has for you, his good plans to give you a future and a hope.
(19:20):
Happy New Year!
Hergodstory is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and International.
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.
Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast where you will always hear a good
(00:04):
story to encourage and inspire you in your walk with God.
I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and International,
author and traveler on this journey of faith.
I want to thank my faithful listeners who have supported our Widow and Orphan Fund.
From time to time, I share stories of those we've helped through that fund and I'm blessed
(00:25):
to be able to share one with you now.
Lois lost her husband Paul recently when he was hit by a speeding van as he was making
ministry visits on his motorcycle in Kenya, leaving behind Lois and his three teenage
daughters.
Paul was the director of a seminary located in a rural area that trained village pastors.
Lois left her job and life in Nairobi when they married not quite two years ago.
(00:50):
Tragedy is not a stranger to his three girls who lost their mother from an extended illness
when they were young, but God graciously brought Lois into their lives before calling their
father home.
Lois who's in her early 30s is now the sole caregiver of these three girls.
While they still have a home and the cost of living in rural Kenya is fairly low, roughly
(01:10):
only $300 a month, her $25 a month income from working in the seminary kitchen is really
not enough to support them.
But thanks to many of you, we are providing Lois and her girls a safety net by supporting
them monthly for a full year.
She is overwhelmed with appreciation and relief knowing they can survive while they process
(01:32):
their grief and seek the Lord for direction.
Please pray for Lois and the girls as they continue walking through this very difficult
season.
We know God's watching over them and he's using us as a part of their care.
So thank you.
This new year is the year the Lord has made, so let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(01:55):
I expect to see God doing great things this year.
Of course, he's always at work, but often we don't see or recognize what he's doing.
This year, however, I believe the veil is coming off our eyes, so we will recognize the amazing,
amazing things he is doing in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
And whatever God does, we can be sure that his work will turn out a masterpiece.
(02:19):
The 18th century English writer and polymath John Ruskin said, When love and skill work
together, expect a masterpiece.
And dear ones, there is no one more loving or more skilled than our great God.
One of my all-time favorite scriptures is Ephesians 2-10.
I'll read primarily from the New Living Translation in this episode today, and that verse reads,
(02:45):
For we are God's masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us
long ago.
I just love that.
God was thinking about you and he was thinking about me long before we were even born.
And he has planned good things for us to do.
He has good things for you and me to do this very year.
(03:10):
It fits with another one of my favorite scriptures, Jeremiah 29-11, which reads, For I know the
plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to
give you a future and a hope.
Now I want to give you a little context here.
God made that promise to the Israelites when many of them were exiles in Babylon living
under a cruel and harsh overlord.
(03:33):
Those who were still living in Jerusalem were awaiting death and destruction from the Babylonian
army that was ravaging every nation around them.
In the midst of very confusing and even terrifying times, God said he has good plans for them.
Of course, verses 12 and 13 of Jeremiah 29 tell us how those plans will come about.
(03:54):
In those days when you pray, I will listen.
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
So really, no matter what the circumstances are around you and us, when we look to the
Lord wholeheartedly and pray to Him, His good plans are worked out for us.
And we have a role in that.
Doing the good works He created in advance for us to do.
(04:18):
And God's good works that we do make a difference.
How can that be, you might ask?
You might say, I'm just a mom, just a nurse, just a wife.
I just have an insignificant job in the grand scheme of things.
But let's take a step back and look at God's grand masterpiece, which is the Body of Christ.
We are each individually a masterpiece, certainly, but the Body of Christ together is God's
(04:42):
amazing masterpiece that has inner workings that will only be understood in eternity.
The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, 12, 14 through 18 and 27 explains this a little.
The human body has many parts.
But the many parts make up one whole body, so it is with the Body of Christ.
Yes, the body has many parts, not just one part.
(05:05):
If the foot says, I'm not a part of the body because I'm not a hand, that does not make
it any less a part of the body.
And if the ear says, I'm not a part of the body because I'm not an eye, would that make
it any less a part of the body?
If the whole body were an eye, how could we hear?
Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
(05:26):
But our body has many parts, and God has put each one just where He wants it.
All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it.
So if Jesus is Lord of your life and you are part of God's wonderful masterpiece, the Body
of Christ, you might think your part is small or unimportant, but it's not.
(05:50):
It is very important in God's overall plan of redemption.
To illustrate this point, let's look at the life of Moses.
And since this podcast is her God story, we're going to look at the women God placed in Moses'
life.
Their critical roles in the plan of God to release the children of Israel out of bondage
struck me recently as my husband and I were reading in the book of Exodus together one
(06:13):
morning.
There are several women who played seemingly ordinary roles in Moses' life, but what they
did had significant spiritual implications in God's plan to use Moses to lead the children
of Israel out of slavery and right up to the Promised Land.
Without these women and the good works they each did, Moses would likely not have survived
(06:36):
to do the good works God had prepared him to do.
As I share about these women, you'll notice that most live seemingly insignificant lives
in the grand scheme of history.
We're not even told the names of several of them until later in Scripture, and one still
remains unnamed today.
Four of them were slaves.
Only one of them ever steps into a leadership role.
(06:58):
And even though many people would not consider them important, God thinks otherwise.
He records their deeds in the Bible so their good works will be known and can be emulated
throughout time.
If you see yourself insignificant, hopefully their stories will help you see how precious
and important you are to God, and how you are a part of the masterpiece he's working
(07:21):
on in our day.
The first woman God used in Moses' life is unsurprisingly his mother.
We read in Exodus 2 that a man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married.
The woman, who's unnamed at this point, has a son, Moses.
The thing is, they were slaves in Egypt, and Pharaoh had decreed that all male babies born
(07:42):
to Israelites were to be killed.
At first, Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives, Shippurah and Pua, to kill baby boys as soon
as they were born.
But these two brave women did not obey that ungodly order at risk of their own lives.
We do not know which of them assisted in Moses' birth, but whichever one it was kept the secret
(08:04):
of his birth from the Egyptians, they stood against evil, which is one of the good works
God has called them to do.
And in doing so, they were used by God to protect Moses when he was most vulnerable.
So he could fulfill the destiny God had for him.
Once Pharaoh realized the midwives were not killing the male babies, he ordered the Egyptians
(08:25):
to throw Hebrew baby boys into the Nile River.
So Moses' mom, who we later find out is named Jokabed, hid him as any mother would.
She hid him for three months, but then it was no longer possible to hide him.
Maybe she had to go back to work as a slave, and her Egyptian overlords would see that
Moses was a boy.
Maybe he was louder, and the neighbors were beginning to get curious.
(08:48):
Whatever the reason, it seems that word got out about baby Moses.
In her desperation, God gave her an idea.
She waterproofed a basket, put Moses inside, and laid it in the reeds along the Nile.
I can only imagine that she intended to go back every chance she could to feed and care
for him.
So she left her daughter behind to watch over him from a distance.
(09:13):
As her daughter, who is also unnamed at this point, watches, she sees Pharaoh's daughter
discover the basket and Moses inside.
Pharaoh's daughter knew well her father's edict, that male Hebrew boys were to be killed.
But she had compassion on Moses.
When Moses' sister realizes the princess will have mercy on Moses, she creatiously approaches
(09:38):
and offers to find a nursemaid for the baby.
Since the princess had not given birth to Moses, she had no way of feeding the child
herself, but she had decided to adopt him, so the princess readily agreed and sent the
girl off to get a nursemaid.
Of course, she comes back with Moses' mother, Jokabed, who was then able to nurture and
care for Moses openly under the protection of Pharaoh's daughter until he's weaned.
(10:03):
He's then given back to Pharaoh's daughter, who we can confidently assume made sure he
received all the education available to the leading figures in the land from the very best
instructors.
And based on Moses' actions as an adult, I believe she also passed on her compassionate
heart to him.
Nothing is detailed in the Bible about that period in Moses' life, but as he grew into
(10:26):
manhood, we know he had freedom to go wherever he liked in Egypt, so he was well thought
of by the Egyptians.
At least until he killed one of them for beating an Israelite.
Then Pharaoh wanted his head, and Moses had to flee.
Moses ended up in Midian, a stranger in a strange land.
The Midianites thought he was an Egyptian by the way he looked, dressed, and talked.
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And when he saw men harassing some Sheppartuses by the water trough, he came to their aid,
and he eventually married one of them, Zipporah.
Zipporah was the daughter of the priest of Midian, Raoel.
Interestingly, Raoel is the Hebrew word meaning friend of God.
Based on his daughter's knowledge of God's ways, which I'll explain in a minute, one
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might assume that Raoel was a priest of the Lord our God, not some false God.
Zipporah and Moses had two sons, and they were living a quiet life together in Midian
for about 40 years.
Then God sent Moses back to Egypt to free the Israelites from slavery.
So Moses, Zipporah, and her two sons set out for Egypt.
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However, when they stopped along the way one night, Exodus 424 says, the Lord confronted
him, that is Moses, and was about to kill him.
But Zipporah intervened.
She circumcised her son in accordance with the covenant that God had made with Abraham.
Somehow she knew the importance of the covenant, even if Moses did not.
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Apparently, Moses missed that lesson when he was growing up under the tutelage of his
Egyptian teachers.
So Zipporah interceded for him and took action to put things right.
I'm sure in the heat of the moment, Moses agreed with anything she was doing if it would
spare his life.
That was a real life lesson for Moses he would never forget, thanks to Zipporah and
her intercession.
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Once the children of Israel were freed from Egypt, he had over a million people looking
to him for direction, protection, provision of just about everything.
This generation had never lived in the desert like their forefathers.
They never governed themselves, and they did not really know the Lord their God, who had
defeated all the so-called gods of Egypt.
So the burden and pressure on Moses was immense.
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And while God did raise up some godly men to help in various capacities, once again,
Moses' sister, who we now learn is Miriam, was at his side as well.
She became a leader in the community, helping guide the women as Exodus 15, 20, and 21 shows.
She was a prophetess, who, it seems, provided counsel for many in the camp, including, likely,
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even her brother Moses.
Micah 6.4 tells us that the Lord raised up Miriam to help Moses.
And although she was disciplined by the Lord when she criticized Moses at one point, Moses
found her help indispensable and pleaded with God to heal her.
And the Lord did.
God used plenty of men in Moses' life, too, but each of these women played a crucial role
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in God's overarching plan of freeing the Israelites from slavery and bringing them to the Promised
Land.
In the beginning, they had no idea God was planning to use Moses in that way.
But they each did the good work God had called them to do, and God brought his masterful
plan together into being.
Jokabed was a caring, nurturing, and protective mother.
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That was God's good work for her in that season.
She stepped out in faith when she put Moses in the basket in the Nile, and God made a
way for her to complete the work he'd called her to do.
Shepra and Pua stood against evil, saving not only Moses' life but undoubtedly other
young Israelite boys as well.
Even Pharaoh's daughter played a role.
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She likely had no concept of who the true God was, but God had given her a compassionate
heart which allowed her to also be used to protect Moses.
And see that he received the education he would eventually need to lead the people out
of slavery and form them into a nation.
Zopora was a caring wife and mother who followed Moses in faith to Egypt and interceded for
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his life and his destiny.
And Miriam obeyed her mother when she was young and courageously approached a powerful
adversary with a solution to her problem.
She played the advocate which allowed Moses to be cared for by his mother and developed
some affinity to his own people.
Then many years later, Miriam stepped in to his side again, speaking prophetic words and
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counsel that supported Moses as he led the children of Israel through the desert to the
Promised Land.
They all played an important part, just like parts of a body working together, even though
they probably did not understand it at that time or in that way.
They each had a role in God's plan and he created a masterpiece that we still remember
and learn from today.
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But each of us also has a role in the masterpiece God is creating in our day.
He still needs those who are willing to be nurturing and protective of the vulnerable,
those who will stand strong against evil, those who will raise up the next generation
with compassion, those who will intercede and teach others God's ways, those who will
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courageously offer solutions to challenging problems and lead with integrity and wisdom,
and so many others who do unique roles God has expertly equipped them to do.
Do you see yourself in any of those roles?
Or maybe another?
If not seek the Lord and continue to do the small daily good works he's called you to
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do.
And as you look back over this year and over your life, you'll see how God has used them
in his masterpiece to do something magnificent.
God has a place for you in his masterpiece.
Just say yes to his plan.
I said yes to God's plan years ago when I was in graduate school.
He asked me to get involved in reaching the children of a low income community nearby.
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I did not want to go at first.
I had no desire whatsoever.
But as I hesitantly stepped out in obedience, God changed my heart and the trajectory of
my life, taking me around the world to provide humanitarian aid and the gospel to people who
desperately need to know a tangible expression of his love.
What will he do with your yes?
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Let me pray with you.
Heavenly Father, you are our Creator God and you are doing a great work in our times.
And I join with the Apostle Paul's prayer from Colossians 1, 9-11, and I ask you to fulfill
our dear listening friends with the knowledge of your will through all the wisdom and understanding
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that the Spirit gives so that they may live a life worthy of you, God, and please you in
every way.
May they bear fruit in every good work.
May they grow in the knowledge of God.
May they be strengthened with all power according to your glorious might so that they may have
great endurance and patience and joyfully give thanks to you, Father, because you have qualified
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us to share in the great inheritance you have in store for your holy people.
And Father, as they move forward this year, may they see your hand at work on their behalf
in new and remarkable ways that bring the breakthroughs and freedom they need to fully
engage in all you have for them.
It's in Jesus' name I pray and I thank you, Father, that you hear and answer our prayers.
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Amen.
You know, dear friends, there are other widows like Lois as well as orphans all over the
world who need to experience that tangible expression of God's love right now.
Many have special needs that we as a company of women can meet together.
Maybe this is one of the good works God's calling you to be a part of.
I urge you to prayerfully consider what he's asking you to do.
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James 1.27 tells us that pure religion in the sight of God means caring for the orphans
and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
This might be a first step for you.
Would you join us with a special gift to help?
Just go to hergodstory.org and click on the Widow and Orphan tab at the top of the page.
Thank you for tuning in.
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In our show notes at hergodstory.org you'll find scriptures and other information we talked
about.
You can also get a six-week devotional on Women of the Bible to download for free.
It'll be a great way to start your year.
Or you may want to purchase the 12-week devotional for just $12 knowing that all the proceeds
will go to our Widow and Orphan fund.
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We'd love to pray with you on our 24-7 prayer and text line.
Call us anytime at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer at somebodycares.org.
And now dear friends, I bless you today from Jeremiah 2911.
May you know the plans God has for you, his good plans to give you a future and a hope.
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Happy New Year!
Hergodstory is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and International.
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.
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