Focus: Fear God!

Text: Ex.1:15-18

"Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, "When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it's a daughter, she may live." The Hebrew midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live."

These are two women in the medical profession who brought God into their practice. They signed their professional practice with God's signature and stamped it with God's name. In their daily activity as medical practitioners, they were guided by the fear of God. 

They would not use their good office to do evil or kill innocent children. They would not for fear of the king go against their faith, conscience, and loyalty to God. They saw the law of God as something superior to the king's edict. It is the testimony of Scripture that these midwives feared God. They damned the consequences of being disobedient to the king's demands. They would neither let the king commit genocide nor allow themselves to commit infanticide. The midwives understood one thing, and that is, that it is the role of medical science to save lives, not to terminate them. They acted in fear of God, not in fear of a mortal king.

There would have been no Moses the law-giver and leader of the exodus without the Hebrew midwives. I dare say that we will do well to take God with us wherever we go and demonstrate Him in all that we do.

Bear in mind that the workplace is a sacred place.

In the business world, fear God. In the medical field, fear God. In the political arena, fear God. In the academia, fear God. In the ministry, fear God. In all facets of human existence, let's fear God! 

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. There's no sphere of life where God should be avoided, trivialized, disregarded or excluded.

Loyalty to God is fundamental in all things. Loyalty is royalty in God's scheme of things. A wise man said, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecl.12:13).

Pharaoh said, "When you help the Hebrew women give birth…" Be a giver of help! Help someone to give birth! There's someone in need of your help. Use what you do to help others. Give joy, love and hope; don't kill them! Be the needed, not the needy! Those who fear God will do their best to help people in need. You are blessed to be a blessing.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter