A Mother’s Faith in the Fire

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction: Honoring Mothers and the Quiet Power of Faith

Happy Mother’s Day! Today, we are going to honor and thank the mothers that God blessed us with. Could we have all the mothers stand so we can honor you with a carnation. Let’s honor all the mothers with our applause.

Let’s pray. Father thank you for the mothers that you have blessed us and our children with. We thank you for their dedication in raising us, for providing for us, for teaching us about you and for praying for us.

Bless each mother today with your love, your blessing and your provision. In Jesus’ name, Amen. You may be seated. Today our message is entitled “A Mother’s Faith in the Fire.”

Picture with me a mother standing over a crib in the quiet hours of the night. She whispers prayers that no one hears except God. Lord, keep this baby safe. Let them grow strong, help me to raise them well.

In those quiet moments, she remembers the truth that brings peace in the sleepless nights. She holds fast to the truth that her baby is not a burden or a random accident. They are a gift from God, a reward, a sacred trust.

Psalm 127:3 (ESV) Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Years pass every so quickly. Now, the mother is praying over a child with a backpack at the door. God protect them at school. Help them choose good friends.

Guard their heart and mind. She begins to realize that parenting is less about having all the answers and more about trusting the One who does. She can’t follow her child into every classroom or onto every playground, but she can trust that God is guiding them.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

She prays that God will go before her child, guiding, protecting and straightening the path she can’t see. A few years later, she’s pacing the floor, her heart aching. Her teenager slams the door behind them.

She prays, Jesus, bring them back to you. Don’t let them go too far. Help me love them through this.

Her control over her child is slipping and her understanding feels small. Yet her prayers grow stronger. She learns to release her child into God’s hands.

Finally, a few more years later, she stands outside a dorm room. Or she watches a car pull out of the driveway. No longer a child, but not quite grown.

She prays, Lord I can’t go with them, but You can. I trust you with what I can’t control. She places their future into God’s hands.

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

She may not see the end of the story, but she knows the Author. And He finishes what He starts. She makes a commitment to praying for her child for the rest of her life.

A mother’s faith isn’t tested just once, it’s tested in every stage. It’s tested in every goodbye. It’s tested in every whispered prayer.

Her love for her child stays strong, but her faith must continue to grow deeper. This Mother’s Day, we turn to the story of a woman. Her faith was tested in the fire.

Her name is Jochebed, the mother of Moses. Her world was dangerous, her crisis was real. Yet her courage changed history.

When fear surrounds, when surrender is your only option, what does a mother of faith do? Let’s find out today. Our message is entitled: A Mother’s Faith in the Fire.

A Mother’s Faith Faces Fear with Courage

Exodus 1:15–17 (ESV) Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, …“When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

The world that Mose’s mother, Jochebed lived in was hostile to life. The empire demanded the death of baby boys. This was done to maintain control by limiting the number of young men from Israel.

Pharoh’s orders reveal a society bent on destruction. It was a society bent on the destruction of innocent babies. Life was treated as expendable.

Despite the law of the land, the midwives feared God more than the king. Rather than kill the male babies, they delivered them. They let them live.

The courage of the midwives sets the spiritual atmosphere for Jochebed’s defiance. The midwives understood that the fear of God fuels courageous decisions. Fear of man never does.

Exodus 1:20–21 (ESV) So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

Of course, the risk that the midwives had in sparing the babies was great. The Pharoah might take their lives. However, God blessed the midwives because they feared and trusted Him.

Not only did God bless the midwives, but He also blessed the Israelites. They had large families. They grew stronger and stronger.

God’s desire for His people is always to be fruitful and multiply. This includes physical children. It also includes spiritual children.

Obviously the Pharoah was not happy with the way his command was disobeyed.

Exodus 1:22 (ESV) Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

This command was directed to the parents of every male child. They were to throw the newborn son into the Nile River. This was a command to kill their own children.

The Nile River was created by God to give life. This demonic ruler turned it into a tool of death. This is the world that Jochebed is called to mother in.

And yet we see from the midwife’s example that God is not absent. He is still present here in Egypt. A mother’s faith begins where fear tries to take root.

Application: Standing Firm When Fear Pressures Faith

Behind the Egyptian Pharoah of Jochebed’s day were powerful demonic powers. These demonic powers are seen throughout the Bible. They seek to kill babies.

They seek to kill innocent children created in the image of God. They do this to stop future godly leaders. This pattern repeats throughout Scripture.

What happened at Jesus’ birth? King Herod sought to kill all the male babies. He did this to destroy Jesus.

The same thing happens today. Over 73 million babies are killed every year through abortion worldwide. Today’s mothers face modern Pharoah’s of many kinds.

These modern Pharaohs have the same demonic power behind them. Unexpected pregnancies may lead to pressure for an abortion. Governments and schools pressure parents for control.

There is cultural pressure to stop teaching biblical truth. It is called too narrow or outdated. Digital voices and social media flood children’s minds with confusion.

They confuse identity, value and truth. But God still calls mothers to stand with courage. He does not call them to collapse in fear.

Whether it’s choosing godly discipline, guarding what comes into the home, or praying with authority, faith leads. Fear would paralyze. Courage chooses obedience.

This week, choose one area where fear is influencing your parenting. Confront it with faith-filled action. Trust God to lead you forward.

A Mother’s Faith Acts Boldy

Exodus 2:1–2 (ESV) Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

We know from other scriptures that the mother of Moses was named Jochebed. Her name means “The Lord is my glory.” Both Jochebed and her husband were Levites.

They were part of the priestly tribe of Israel. They were deeply devoted followers of the Lord God. Their faith shaped their decisions.

When the baby boy was born, there was no thought of obeying the government’s law. There was no thought of drowning him in the Nile. At great risk, Jochebed hid him.

She hid him for three months. She did not take him out in public. She hid his cries.

She did not invite others into the home. Hiding a newborn for three months required strategy. It required strength and sacrifice.

Exodus 2:3–4 (ESV) When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.

After three long months, the cries were getting louder. She knew that her secret would be discovered. If the government found the child, he would be killed.

So what could she do? There seemed like no solution. There seemed like no way to save his life.

I believe that God gave her a plan. It was a plan from heaven. This plan would save her son’s life.

The plan was to create a water-tight basket. It would float on the Nile River. It would protect the baby.

The basket was placed by the reeds near the riverbank. It was not placed in the main current. This kept the basket in quiet water.

Finally, she had Moses’ sister Miriam watch from a distance. This shows that she expected someone to notice the baby. God gave Jochebed a detailed plan.

The plan would save her son’s life. It would also prepare him for greatness. God was guiding every step.

But what about fear? Nile crocodiles were common then. They are common now.

Crocodiles were worshipped in Egypt. They were fierce predators. They could grow up to 16 feet in length.

Jochebed prepares the best she can. Then she lets go. This was not abandonment.

It was surrender. She did not throw Moses into the Nile. She placed him in a covered basket.

It was like a mini ark. She left him in God’s hands after following God’s instructions. Faith carried what fear could not.

Application: Knowing When to Release What You’ve Protected

Every faithful mother faces the moment of the basket. She has prayed. She has heard from God.

She has followed His directions. Now comes the moment of release. She releases her child to God’s care.

That moment might be trusting God with a diagnosis. It might look like releasing control of a wayward teen. It might be sending a child to a new environment.

The moment may be a time to surrender. It may be surrendering what you’ve been trying to manage. This week, write it down.

Give it to God in prayer. Then follow God’s directions. Act with wisdom and courage.

A Mother’s Faith Trusts God

Exodus 2:5–6 (ESV) Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, … She saw the basket among the reeds and … she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child … crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.”

God arranged for Pharoah’s daughter to be at the right place. She was there at the right time. She noticed the basket.

It may be that Jochebed knew this was a regular practice. But she could not know the reaction. She could not know what Pharaoh’s daughter would do.

God moved the daughter’s heart. She took pity on the child. She became the unlikely protector of Moses.

This child was destined to bring a future Pharoah down. Jochebed’s faithful surrender made the way for God to work.

Exodus 2:7–8 (ESV) Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.

Moses’ sister was Miriam. She asked permission to find a Hebrew nurse. This was part of God’s plan.

It allowed Moses to be raised by his mother. Undoubtedly, Pharaoh’s daughter knew who the woman was.

Exodus 2:9–10 (NIV) Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

Through Jochebed’s faith, not only was the life of Moses spared, but she was able to nurse and raise him and be paid in the process. Children is those days were typically weaned at 3-5 years old. So most likely this is the time when Jochebed brought him to Pharoah’s daughter and the royal palace to be raised.

This was the second time that Jochebed had to release Moses into God’s care. His physical life was not in danger, but he was being sent to be raised in a pagan environment by royalty that did not believe in the one true God. Yet in the few years that Jochebed raised Moses, his life was shaped by this godly courageous mother.

Moses became one of Israel’s most courageous leaders, who ultimately led Israel out of captivity in Egypt into the promised land. And Jochebed was also the mother of Aaron and Miriam who worked hand in hand with Moses to change the course of history for Israel.

Application: Trusting God with the Outcome

God is always working behind the scenes, nothing escapes His notice. God is always working even when we can’t see results, even when we’re not in control. What you surrender in faith, He multiplies in grace.

Mothers, your obedience today will lead to your child’s breakthrough tomorrow. Pray with persistence, don’t give up if it seems like nothing is happening. Encourage another mom who is going through a tough time.

Step out in trust, knowing that God is doing more than you can see. Believe that you are raising a world changer in your home. A mother’s faith trusts God with the outcome.

Conclusion: Choosing Faith in the Fire

From the crib to the college goodbye, every season of motherhood calls for a new kind of faith. And it’s in the fire of these moments that a mother’s faith is refined and revealed. When control slips away and fear seeks to creep in, surrendering to God and trusting in Him is the path of faith.

Jochebed couldn’t predict the outcome. She couldn’t fight Pharaoh. But she did what only a mother of faith could do.

She trusted God with what she couldn’t carry and obeyed what she had been told. Her courage shaped a deliverer. Her surrender partnered with God’s plan for the entire nation.

So every mother who feels the weight of raising children in a broken world, take heart. Your unseen prayers, your faithful actions and your quiet courage matter even though you may not see the fruit today.

You may feel like you’re placing your child into the river, unsure of where the current is going to take them. But God knows, God sees and He is working on both ends of the basket.

He is working through your faith in action. He is working through His plan for your child. This week, be bold in your faith.

Continue to pray over your children, whether they are in the home or out on their own. Pray like their future depends on it, because it does. Trust God with what you cannot control.

Remember that when a mother chooses faith in the fire, she opens the door for God to do the miraculous.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

Looking for community?
Join a Life Group and grow in your faith with others walking the same path.