I bought this book many years ago and last year picked it up to go through at last. I have the first one BI which I am going to go through next (my husband is currently doing that one himself). I love how each week (Monday to Friday) focuses on one particular person - their name, its meaning, their character, their sorrow, their joy as well as their stories.
Each Monday begins with one woman's story and is retold in a way that we could be there watching it play out. Then on Tuesday it focuses on something cultural from their time as it relates to that woman. Wednesday is the tough one where it gives you bible passages relating to the woman for that week then poses questions to really make you think. I think these would work well with someone else who can help you unpick the passage and what it's saying because it can be hard to grasp the meaning. Thursday then gives us promises in scripture and how it relates to that particular woman, as each one is different in their own ways. Friday is her legacy and how we can use all we have learnt about the woman from that week in our own lives. We are then given suggestions as how apply these lessons in reflecting on a particular scripture, offering thanks, asking God for His wisdom along with some practical advice that we may seek in the coming week before ending in prayer.
One of the practical advice suggestions from early on in the book was to thank God every day for something. I chose to do this in a journal form which has turned into journalling my thoughts, prayers and scriptures to remember along with some song lyrics that spoke to me. So what began as a gratitude journal turned into something so much more. Ten months later and I am on my third journal in which I pour out my heart, thoughts and prayers. Even dreams in which I feel God had spoken to me. God used this devotional, that has been sitting on my bookshelf for over a decade, for something greater.
There is something for everyone in "Women of the Bible" although as a woman who has never had children I felt that there was a lot of focus on motherhood being part of a woman's identity. And in Biblical times, I guess it was. I found that hard to relate to having never been a mother and it made me try and search for something for women who weren't mothers. And you know what? I can't find any. Because women were born, were created, to be mothers. It's in our nature to nurture. But some of us - like Sarah, like Rachel, like Hannah - could never be mothers. But in Biblical times, as we read in the scriptures, God did indeed bless these women who were barren with children later in life. But what about those of us who haven't been? Where does that leave us? I would love for a devotional book to be available for those of us who weren't so blessed because I really cannot relate to those women when they ended up as mothers and I never did. At my age now, I have made my peace with it, but for many years it was tough to see others having the babies I had once longed for. I'm too old for that now.
Anyway, that aside, this devotional is stark reminder of how God uses women for many different purposes in life - whether we know it or not. We all have a purpose. Each days' focus in this book is a reflection on those women and their purpose and how relevant they are to us today. It also highlights that no woman is perfect and how God can use those imperfections for his glory. It serves as a great reminder not to be so hard on ourselves as women in our imperfections as well as those we see in other women. Plus it is a great way to learn about each of these women and done over the course of a week for each woman helps their stories to remain with you long after you've finished them.
I did this book over the course of the year, beginning in July last year and finishing it today. And that is the beauty of this devotional. Unlike other yearly devotionals, this one doesn't start on 1st January and end on 31st December. You can start it at any time of the year (and even pause it for a time to pick up later).
A summary and thoughts on each woman.
Eve: The first woman whom God didn't give up on.
Sarah: Brave and loyal, she was made a mother of a nation.
Hagar: Even though she was a slave, God saw her sorrow.
Lot's Wife: God tried to save her, but she ultimately refused.
Rebekah: The woman who accepted God's invitation.
Rachel: She felt forgotten, but God remembered her.
Leah: She was unloved, so God showered her in it.
Tamar #1: Through her actions, Judah's line was preserved.
Potiphar's Wife: Because of her false witness, an innocent man was jailed.
Jochebed and Pharaoh's Daughter: The mothers who rescued Moses and raised him well.
Miriam: The Bible's first prophetess who did her job well.
Rahab: A prostitute with a heart for God.
Deborah: A judge who acted as a mother in Israel.
Jael: A Gentile woman whom God used to help His people.
Delilah: A prostitute who turned her lover over to his enemies.
Naomi: Despite her suffering, God gave her a future.
Ruth: Because of her generosity and selflessness, God blessed her.
Hannah: A barren woman who poured her heart out to God.
Michal: A princess who eventually became a prisoner to bitterness.
Abigail: A wise woman who wouldn't let disaster come.
The Woman of Endor: Though a medium, God used her to speak to Saul.
Bathsheba: Though molested by Israel's king, she was likely emotionally strong.
Tamar #2: Unaware of the danger in her own family, her innocence was stolen.
The Wise Woman of Abel: Because of her, innocent lives on both sides were spared.
Rizpah: A mother who remained loyal to her sons.
The Queen of Sheba: A ruler who valued wisdom over power.
Jezebel: A queen who used her power to destroy her country.
The Widow of Zarephath: Because of her hospitality, God blessed her with abundance.
The Shunammite Woman: When her son died, she was determined to get him back.
Athaliah and Jehosheba: A queen who tried to destroy the Messiah's line, and a princess who helped preserve it.
Huldah: A woman with a voice in a moral wilderness.
Esther: The queen who saved her people.
The Woman of Proverbs 31: A model of wisdom that all men and women can aspire to be like.
The Shulammite Woman: A woman whose love speaks directly to us.
Gomer: She was a symbol of adultery, but she wasn't unloved.
Elizabeth: She was the mother of John the Baptist, and mentor to the mother of the Savior.
Mary, Mother of Jesus: Though a woman who sinned, she was called to bear the Sinless One.
Anna: Though an old woman, she did not outlive her usefulness.
The Samaritan Woman: She was weary of her past, but Jesus gave her hope for the future.
The Sinful Woman: Though she led an immoral lifestyle, she shed tears of repentance.
The Bleeding Woman: She was lonely, but she was brave. And because of her faith she was healed.
Herodias: A New Testament Jezebel determined to silence the voice who criticized her.
Joanna: Though she was from Herod's court, she decided to join the heavenly court of Jesus.
The Syrophoenician Woman: She was a Gentile, but that didn't stop her from seeking Jesus.
Martha: She was worried about small things, but she believed in Jesus.
Mary of Bethany: She never lost sight of Jesus, and had the privilege to anoint Him before He died.
Salome, Mother of the Zebedees: Though she misunderstood the Messiah's mission, she was a faithful follower.
The Widow with the Two Coins: She was poor, but she abandoned herself completely to God.
Mary Magdalene: Though trapped by seven demons, she was freed to share the message of the Savior.
Dorcas: She died before her time, but was raised again to continue her work.
Lydia: Though a Gentile, she helped start the church at Philippi.
Priscilla: A model for female church leaders everywhere.
I thoroughly recommend this wonderful reflective devotional, highlighting each women with her strengths and her imperfections brings a perspective that we today can relate to. Highly recommended.
MEET THE AUTHORS:
Ann Spangler is an award-winning author, publishing her first book, an instant bestseller, in 1994. Since then, she has gone on to write several bestselling books, including Women of the Bible (co-authored with Jean Syswerda), Praying the Names of God, Praying the Names of Jesus, and Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus (co-authored with Lois Tverberg). Her latest book is Less Than Perfect. Together her books have sold millions of copies.
In 2013 she was named the Logos Bookstore Author of the Year, an award given to an author "whose body of works exemplifies the power of books to change lives forever."
By paying attention to the spiritual and emotional hungers that animate us and by finding creative ways to explore God's self-revelation in Scripture, her writing surprises by revealing a God who is often far bigger and better than we might imagine.
In addition to writing, Ann has enjoyed a lengthy career in Christian publishing, working for William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Servant Publications, and Zondervan Publishing in marketing, editorial, and management roles. Her broad experience in publishing has convinced her that readers are looking for well-written books that explore the connection between spiritual experience and everyday life, books that both engage the mind and strengthen the heart.
Social Media links:
Jean E. Syswerda is a former editor and associate publisher for Zondervan Bibles, where her passion grew for exceptional Bibles that encourage readers to dig deep into God’s Word. Most recently, Jean authored the notes in the
NIV Kingdom Girls Bible. She also helped produce the first editions of such long-selling Bibles as the
NIV Women’s Devotional Bible and the
Adventure Bible and the
Teen Study Bible.
Jean is the co-author of the best-selling
Women of the Bible (with over one million copies in print) and the
Read With Me Bible. She is the author of the
NIrV SuperHeroes Bible,
My Bedtime Story Bible and the
Women's Devotional Guide to the Bible. She is the general editor of the
NIV Women of Faith Study Bible and
A Mom's Ordinary Day Bible Study Series.
Jean and her husband John have three children and nine grandchildren. They live in Allendale, Michigan, during beautiful Michigan summers, and enjoy sunny Florida in the winter.
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