A Courageous Girl Learns from Godly People

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us one drive at a time!

You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus.

On this season of the True Girl podcast, we’re walking like an Egyptian.

Well, technically Miriam was a Hebrew, but she did grow up in Egypt! Our host, Dannah Gresh, and the True Girl team wrote a Bible study for tweens titled Miriam: Becoming a Girl of Courage. They’re going to help us explore the life of this biblical character. 

Dannah and her cohost, Staci, thought it’d be fun to take a trip to Egypt to walk in Miriam’s footsteps in a quest for courage. 

Do you ever feel like God passed you up when He handed out courage? Is it easy to compare yourself to other girls who seem like they were born brave? In today’s episode we’re going to find out that Miriam wasn’t born courageous. She had two really courageous teachers. Who were they? And where can you find one?

Listen closely to find out, on today’s quest for courage. This is the True Girl podcast season seven, episode three: “A Courageous Girl Learns from Godly People.” 

Staci Rudolph: Mmm mmmh! Nothing better than ice cream on a hot day! What kind did you get Dannah?

Dannah Gresh: Mmm . . . mango! I heard it’s an Egyptian favorite. What did you end up getting, Staci?

Staci: I got banana.

Dannah: Banana?

Staci: I wanted to try something a little different.

Dannah: Is it good?

Staci: Oh, it’s delicious! I just hope it doesn’t melt before I get the chance to eat it! 

Dannah: Yeah, me too. 

Staci: So Dannah, where exactly are we? And what are we doing here? I don’t see any big monuments—definitely nothing compared to the Great Pyramids of Giza!

Are we gonna go there on this trip? I’ve been dying to see them!

Dannah: Oh, Staci, there might be a stop at the pyramids in our future, but I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.

But for today’s stop on our courage quest, I wanted to think a little bit outside of the box.

We’re in . . . Zagazig! 

Staci: Zigzag?! What kind of a name is that?

Dannah: No, Staci, not zigzag. Zagazig! Za-ga-zig

Staci: Hmm . . . Za-ga-zig. Did I get it? 

Dannah: Close enough!

Staci: I still don’t understand why we’re here though. What does Zagazig have to do with courage? I don’t remember hearing about a place called Zagazig in the Bible.

Dannah: Well Staci, that’s because there isn’t a place called Zagazig mentioned in the Bible. But a loooooong time ago, Zagazig and the land surrounding it, likely went by a different name: Goshen.

Staci: Really? Who knew! 

And we care about that because . . .?

Dannah: Because this is where our girl Miriam lived all those many years ago.

Staci: That’s crazy! She lived here?

Dannah: Well, not this exact spot, but generally in this area, at least we think so. We don’t know exactly where the land of Goshen used to be, but according to my research, Zagazig is about as close as we’re gonna get.

Staci: I’ll take it! Why did they gotta go changin’ the name though? Goshen is so much easier to say than Zigzag . . . Gagazig . . . Za-ga-zig. 

Dannah: There you go. 

Staci: Finally! Third time’s the charm, am I right?

Dannah: You are right Staci. What am I gonna do with you!?

Hey, let’s see if we can find a place to sit down and eat our ice cream before it melts. How about that park bench over there?

Staci: Looks like the perfect spot to me.

Ah, now I don’t have to walk, talk, and  try to eat my ice cream all at the same time!

Hey, now also seems like a good time to get started on today’s courage lesson. 

True Girl, you remember our lesson from last time? Courage lesson number one: a courageous girl is obedient. Now, let’s see what else we can learn from Miriam’s life.

She teaches us the truth of this Bible verse—1 Corinthians 11:1.

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

Dannah: Thanks, Staci. First Corinthians 11:1 tells us that if we want to become more like Jesus, then we need to copy people that already look like Him in the way that they walk, talk, live, and love!

It also tells us that if we want to learn how to become courageous, then we need to find some courageous, godly people to imitate.

Staci: This is very good news, True Girl. If you’re like me, you don’t feel like you’re always courageous. Ya know why? It means we can learn to be truly courageous! That’s exactly what Miriam did, and you can too!

But who did Miraim imitate in order to become so incredibly courageous? Let’s jump back into her story to find out!

When we left Miriam, she had just courageously babysat her brother Moses while he slept in a basket. That’s no big deal if your parents are at the movies, but it’s super dangerous if Pharaoh wants to kill all the Hebrew boys in Egypt! Miriam also had the courage to speak up when Pharaoh’s daughter came looking for a relaxing bath in the Nile River and discovered that sweet baby boy. His big sis jumped into action and told that princess about someone she knew—her mom—who could help her raise the baby until it was older.

And that, my friend, was how baby Moses was saved!

Man, that definitely took a lot of courage! Now, after that story, you may be tempted to think that in order to have courage like Miriam, you’d have to be born that way.

Dannah: You see, True Girl, it’s a lie that you have to be born courageous in order to have courage. Courage is something you can learn.

Staci: That’s right. Otherwise Dannah and I wouldn’t be here trying to teach you about it. 

Dannah: Yeah, that is true. Today we’re going to dig in for an answer, and it won’t be easy. Because we want to recognize that Miriam wasn’t born bold, or that she took an extra-credit class in courage.

But there was something that helped her learn to be courageous.

Now, You actually can’t find it in any of the verses in the Old Testament that talk about Miriam. But it does exist in the Bible!

Staci: You bet it does! But the funny thing is, the verse we’re looking for isn’t even in the Old Testament. It’s in the New Testament book of Hebrews. How about I read it for us? Maybe then we’ll find out how Miriam learned to be so courageous!

Here’s Hebrews 11:23:

It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

Do you remember when we talked about obedience last week? A courageous girl is obedient, and she does not do anything to disobey God. 

So, if someone asks you to do something that requires you to disobey God or your parents, just say “no!” And that’s exactly what Miriam’s mom and dad did when the king–or Pharaoh–told them to hand over their son to be killed!

Now, here’s the thing: Miriam watched all of this unfold. She saw her parents obey God above all else! So, who do you think Miriam learned courage from? She learned it from her parents! Their names were Jochebed and Amram. 

First, they bravely hid their son. They had faith that God would protect him. Then Moses’ mom built a basket to hide him in the Nile River. Remember, it took a lot of faith to believe that her baby would be safe in the very river that Pharaoh wanted to be a death trap!

And guess who was watching all of that? Miriam! 

And you know what I should be watching? My ice cream. Dannah, it’s drippin’ all over my hand now. I got so excited about this lesson in courage! Did you happen to bring napkins?

Dannah: I sure did. Here ya go.

Staci: Thanks! Wanna keep going while I clean up? 

Dannah: Of course. 

So, Miriam was watching her parents. Her eyes were on them, and she was in their . . . let’s call it an unofficial school of courage.

The amazing thing is that Jochebed and Amram are still teaching tween girls by their example. They just taught you!

Staci: One thing is for sure: no one is just born courageous. We are trained by God or others who love Him to live lives that are full of faith and courage. 

Hey, we made it to our courage lesson of the day!

A courageous girl learns that character quality from Jesus and others who love Him.

Dannah: So true. Let me ask you something. Who do you know who is courageous? Remember, our definition of courage is obeying God no matter what—even when it’s unpopular—even when we’re afraid!

Just like Miriam followed the example provided by her parents, you should follow the example of others who are living courageously by faith and who are following Jesus. 

So, who are you watching as they live courageously?

Staci: Imitate them! That’s what Miriam did. She copied her mom’s courage. And her mom, Jochebed, was getting courage from God. You and I need to do the same thing. We need to imitate the courage of women who obey God.

Dannah: And . . . pssst . . . That person can totally be your mom! Act like she didn’t just hear me say that. 

Staci: It totally can. My mom is one of the most courageous women I know. I’ve watched her trust and obey God over and over again, and it’s helped me do the same in different situations. Her courage gives me courage!

Dannah: Just remember, learning to be courageous takes time and it takes work. As you learn and grow by copying the godly people in your life, you’ll be better able to recognize the lies you’ve been believing about courage and you’ll trust in the truth!

Oh, Staci, I don’t know, but I think it’s hot out here!

Staci: You’re right. It is pretty toasty. I mean, we’re in Egypt, so I guess it makes sense!

Dannah: You wanna go find some air conditioning?

Staci: Yes, please! And maybe some food too!

Dannah: Staci, we just got ice cream!

Staci: I know, but now I feel like I kinda need somethin’ salty to balance out the sweet! You know what I mean?

Dannah: Okay, makes sense. Well, let’s see if we can find something! But first . . .

Hey, True Girl, I hope today’s courage quest helped you realize that you don’t have to try and be courageous all on your own. You need godly people in your life to help you. 

Staci: That’s right! So, find someone who is courageous. Tell them that they are a good example to you . . . and soak up the lessons!

Dannah: Well spoken. Alright Staci, come on, let’s go.

Claire: Well, True Girl, I hope you enjoyed today’s courage quest in Zagazig! I don’t know about you, but I am so excited to learn even more about how to become a girl of courage, just like Miriam.

Isn’t it comforting to know that we don’t have to be born courageous or learn how to have courage all on our own? Just like Miriam, we can learn to be courageous by copying the godly people in our own lives.

Hey, if you want to study Miriam’s life in more depth, get a copy of Dannah Gresh’s Bible study. It’s titled Miriam: Becoming a Girl of Courage. You can get a copy at MyTrueGirl.com.

That’s also where you can learn about the True Girl subscription box. We deliver discipleship tools right to your front door, including memory verse cards, a coloring meditation page, and other items to teach the lesson of the month. Again, go to MyTrueGirl.com to find out more.

I can’t wait to see where Dannah and Staci end up next on their quest for courage! Can you?Any ideas?

Well, Staci mentioned next week’s location at the beginning of this episode. Do you remember what she said? We’re heading to the great Egyptian pyramids next week. Be sure to join us then!

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts, calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

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