Mothers in the bible verses: part 1 // This is a four-part study by Nicole from Wonderfully Fashioned - Join us on Faith-Filled Fridays!

Mothers in the bible verses is a four-part study written by Nicole Boyd. Nicole is the owner of Wonderfully Fashioned, a handmade jewelry brand featuring tattered lace and wire-wrapped gems. She wants to be a voice for women all over the world, stating that her pieces are simply physical reminders of the treasure God created you to be. Nicole gives a portion of each sale to Exodus Cry, an organization working hard to fight human trafficking all over the world. Take a few minutes to get to know her over on Instagram and let her know how much you loved this study!

Jochebed, Moses’ Mother

When the World Turns Against You
Exodus 1:1-10

Have you ever had to deal with an overwhelming situation? Silly question, right? As a mom, it can sometimes feel like you are all alone in your struggles. I find myself often wondering how I’m supposed to get everything done and still carry myself with grace.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to be a Hebrew mother in Egypt during this time period. For a while, everything was good when Jacob and his family sought refuge in Egypt. After all, their homeland was in the middle of the worst drought the world had seen– maybe in its entire history. Can you imagine going through seven years of drought?

2020 certainly felt like a type of drought. If not physically, then spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

Something my pastor shared this last Sunday really caught my attention. He was speaking about where we place our anchors in life, and of course, they must always be placed in Jesus. During his message, he said something so simple, yet it reverberated through my heart with such a resounding echo.

“In this season, we must dig deep into God’s word. His presence is the only thing that will sustain us.”

I’ve anchored myself in things other than God these last few months, I’m sorry to say. Distraction has a way of sneaking up on you sometimes. But this year, I am purposing to dig deep into God’s word and rest in His presence. It truly is the only thing that will sustain us in this dark and dying world. And not only ourselves, but our families and the people around us!

Have you anchored your heart in something other than God? What is God speaking to you about possibly shifting some priorities?

Oppression Leads to Multiplication
Exodus 1:11-22

The first thing that jumped out to me in these passages is verse 12: The more they oppressed the people of God, the more they multiplied! [my paraphrase]

This verse reminds me of stories of the oppressed Church from all over the world. Not everyone has the religious freedom we do here in America. You would think that oppression would lead to the Gospel message dying out, but it actually has the reverse effect. The Chinese church is thriving, even though they are underground. The more we face oppression because of our beliefs, the more it spreads like wildfire!

We may not always have the freedom to worship God in the open as we do now. I’m not a doomsday kind of gal, but I have seen how quickly our liberties can be taken in the last year. Perhaps we will also have to face persecution and oppression in the not-so-near future.

Will we be a people who follow Him no matter what kind of persecution we face?

Joshua 24:15 says: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

My family and I have made the decision that “come hell or high water”, we will serve the Lord. Have you? Take a moment to journal your thoughts about this today.

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Entrust Your Children to God
Exodus 2:1-10

Now, bare with me today, ‘cause today’s thoughts a little longer. I have always been fascinated by name meanings and thought I’d share what Jochebed’s name means.

Jochebed means: “God’s glory”
Moses means: “To pull out / draw out [of water]”

I can’t even imagine what Jochebed must have been feeling when she heard about the Pharaoh’s edict. She already had two children, Aaron and Miriam. Now her youngest baby was in danger of being thrown into the Nile. So she made a basket and sent him down the Nile, telling Miriam to watch over her brother. Can you imagine her surprise when Miriam came back and told her that Pharaoh’s sister wanted her to nurse her own son? And she would pay her to do it!

I’m sure Jochebed grieved over the fact that she was not able to raise her son. Jochebed had to entrust her son to a stranger to save his life. But it turned out that God had a plan. God needed Moses to be raised in a palace, so he would have the mindset and skills needed to lead over a million people out of slavery.

As moms, we can’t always spare our children from the harsh realities of this world. It can be difficult to entrust them to anyone’s care but our own. But God is a good Father, and sometimes we have to let go of them, to trust that God knows what He is doing. It’s our responsibility to train them up in the way that they should go.

Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Moses grew up in a culture and religion very different from his family. Jochebed had to trust that in God’s timing, Moses would come back to his heritage and his people.

We take on so much as moms. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day of being a mom. Maybe you’re dealing with a child that has walked away from God, or is going through a phase of rebellion. I encourage you: allow God to take some of that burden from your shoulders. Entrust your children in the arms of Father God. Do not ever underestimate the power of a praying Mama! Allow Father God to refresh and strengthen you today.

Maybe you worry about the state of our country and the world. Our kids will be growing up in a world very different than the one we did. I know I question what it will be like for my kids. They’re still so young, only two and three years old. How do I prepare them for this new world we find ourselves in? God is still the solid rock we can stand on, no matter the shifting sands of politics and earthly government.

Pray this with me today: Lord, I thank you for giving me my children. I know they are a gift from you. I pray for wisdom to raise them up in the way they should go. I thank you for the strength to impart a love for Jesus that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Give me peace, no matter what is going on in the world. I entrust my children and family into your care. In Jesus name. Amen.

When the Answer Seems Far Away
Exodus 2:11-25

God hears. Even when He feels distant, He is there.

2020 was a difficult year for me. It felt like I was treading water some days, trying to stay afloat. I love my kids, truly, but being cooped up with them for three months tried every ounce of patience I had. (And I am not a very patient person, I am sorry to say.) This last year has felt like being pressed between a rock and a hard place.

But I’m reminded of James 1:2-5, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

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It took Moses 80 years to return to Egypt and another period of time where God sent the plagues to soften Pharaoh’s hardened heart and let His people go.

Have you been praying and seeking God for something in this past season? Does it feel far off? Maybe like your prayers are hitting a brick wall? I get it. It sucks to have to wait. But rest assured, God will answer in His timing. And it rarely looks the way we thought it would.

What is something you’ve been asking the Lord for or about that you haven’t seen the answer in yet?

I leave you with this final verse today: “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” -Numbers 23:19

He is Faithful to Complete the Work
Exodus 3:3-22

We know that Moses did lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt. Everything that God promised, He was faithful to complete. And He used an imperfect man like Moses. But none of it would have been possible if Jochebed did not have the faith she needed to put her son, Moses, in the basket and send him down the river. If she had not trusted God and given up her son to Pharaoh’s sister to raise, her son would never have even had a chance at life.

Sometimes it’s hard to see if the training with your kids is even making an impact. Do they even hear what I am trying to teach them? Sometimes we just don’t see what is happening under the surface.

Maybe you feel like you’re in a never-ending season of plowing tough ground, or planting, or watering. And not just in your children’s lives, but your own as well. I get you! Let’s end this study with a scripture from Philippians.

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” –Philippians 1:6

What seeds have you been planting and watering in your kids’ lives during this season? In your own? Ask God to water those seeds and bring about His harvest in their lives and in your own heart, as well.

Keep pressing forward, dear mama. You are not alone and you are dearly loved by God.