A group of friends and I are in the midst of attempting to read through the Bible in 90 days. Since beginning this endeavor, we’ve been surprised at the way God’s Word has become so alive for us.

Approaching the Bible in large sections at a time has proven to be a powerful experience. We’ve found that the contexts have become vivid and the stories fresh—almost as if we’re reading familiar passages for the first time.

When I ventured into Exodus, for example, I found myself mesmerized by the actions and faith of two women I’d taken little notice of previously. Though not royalty, these Hebrew women, Shiphrah and Puah, were used by God for divine purposes.

Shiphrah and Puah were midwives helping to bring Jewish babies into the world during a time when a ruthless Egyptian Pharaoh considered the growing Hebrew population a threat to his power (Exodus 1:15). So he told Shiphrah and Puah, “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live” (Exodus 1:16).

“But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too” (Exodus 1:17).

Shiphrah and Puah had remarkable faith in God and were willing to risk their lives as a result. In response, “God was good to the midwives” and not only spared their lives but used them to help the Israelites multiply in number and power (Exodus 1:20). And, “because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own” (Exodus 1:21).

As you spend time in the Word, whether in large or small doses, ask God to help you to walk obediently like Shiphrah, Puah and others we find in the Bible who lived by faith.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Mark 11:20-33