Flourishing Under Pressure

Date: Monday, January 26, 2026

You might want to watch this short video overview of Exodus (Part 1) from the Bible Project, providing context for the next leg of our journey through the "grand narrative" of Scripture.

Exodus 1 shifts the vibe dramatically. A ‘new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.’ In an instant, the people of God go from honored guests to oppressed slaves. The safety of the past is gone, and the future looks like bricks without straw. But in the shadows of this systemic evil, we find two women, Shiphrah and Puah, who practice the first recorded act of civil disobedience in the Bible. They fear God more than they fear Pharaoh.

The transition from Genesis to Exodus reminds us that the people of God are often called to flourish in hostile territory. Progress in the Kingdom of God isn’t always marked by comfort; it’s often marked by resistance and flourishing under pressure. Psalm 25 is a prayer for this kind of tension: ‘To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul… let not my enemies exult over me.’ It’s a cry for guidance when the path is obscured by the fog of oppression.

This is the theological twist for modern believers: Do we ‘know Joseph,’ or have we forgotten the God who brought us here? When the world tries to squeeze the life out of us, do we cave to the fear of the Pharaohs in our culture, or do we have the audacity of the midwives? Real faith doesn’t just happen in the quiet moments of devotion; it happens in the loud, dangerous moments of defiance against anything that devalues human life. God sees the midwives, and He sees you in the trenches of your own Exodus.

Devotional Prompts

Who or what is the Pharaoh in your life right now that is trying to intimidate you into silence or compromise?
How can you practice holy defiance this week, choosing to honor God’s values over the world’s demands?
Psalm 25 talks about God leading the humble in what is right. How does humility act as a weapon against oppression?
In what ways have you forgotten Joseph, losing sight of God’s past faithfulness in the face of a current crisis?

Prayer God of our Salvation, when the world turns cold and the kings do not know us, keep our eyes fixed on You. Give us the courage of the midwives and the humility to be led by Your truth. Let us not be put to shame. Amen.