Are you a nurse, midwife or doctor who has no child of your own? Are you someone helping others to live a better quality life and yet you have not experienced the joy of motherhood? I bring you good news at this time of mother's day. Be glad. God can make you a mother too.
The bible says, God: "settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord"? Psalm 113:9. I want us to look at briefly at this story in the bible: The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah: "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. Exodus 1:15-22
Pharaoh had commanded the midwives to kill the boys so that the Israelites would not create more generations. Hebrew women were to be carefully monitored to ensure that only baby girls would live but all new born boys would be killed. For his plan to succeed he needed the co-operation of the Hebrew midwives and that was a big problem for him.
Egyptian nurses were not likely to attend to the needs of slave women, even if their religious custom allowed it. So he required the help of the Hebrew midwives.
It was normal for woman of the same race to work as midwives and take mothers through the birth process.
So the Hebrew midwives found themselves in a key position in the attempted ethnic control of their own people. The order of the pharaoh went directly to them.
They were ordered to kill all the boys on the delivery stool before they took their first breath. In fact the order was that they suffocate the baby boys and the delivery not be recorded as a live birth.
Shiphrah and Puah were found to be somewhat unsuccessful at this practice and the Hebrew women continued to give birth to healthy boys and girls.
When the Pharaoh saw that so little changed, he summoned the two midwives to answer to charges. He demanded to know why they had not done what he commanded them to do by letting the Hebrew boys live.
The two midwives were ready for pharaoh. They clearly told him, the "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.
Infact they gave birth so fast that by the time the midwives arrived the baby was already born and breathing on their own and full of life.
Their plan and insight paid off. They had calculated that the pharaoh would not want to be accused of directly commanding them to murder. So once a baby was alive they would be allowed to let him live.
They had guessed right. Their expertise was not challenged, their explanation was accepted and their job as midwives went on as before.
We are told that God blessed them with families of their own.
I know you have helped many people bring joy and quality into their lives. You may think God has forgotten you but he has not. God put it in my heart to write this article for you today to tell you he loves you and cannot forget you. God says to you: Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15). He says I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hand. Your walls are ever before me.
Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. I will put a song in your mouth and you will sing again O precious daughter. I love you and I care about you.
The God who gave the midwives families of their own will do the same for you today. Now open your mouth and ask him what you want him to do for you. After that you can pray this prayer:
PRAYER
The Father of Love and compassion. I bless you today. I Give thanks to you Lord, for you are good and your love endures forever. You remembered me today. Thank you. When you remembered Hannah, she conceived and bore Samuel. Today that you remembered me I thank you for visiting my womb with a child. No more infertility! No more miscarrage! in my life. I know that you have come to bless me with my own child. For surely, O Lord, you have blessed me with a child. You surround me with your favour as with a shield. I thank you Lord, for you are gracious to me and have made your face shine upon me. God has blessed me and all the ends of the earth will fear him. I will not keep silent. I will tell all what the Lord has done for me. The God who blessed the two midwives with families of their own, I thank you for blessing me too in Jesus name. Amen.
