Fierce- having or displaying an intense or ferocious aggressiveness. When this word is spoken to describe a women it is usually about a women filled with strength and passion. Whether her passion is for fashion, politics, family, motherhood, or God, she has a desire, want and even a need to fulfill that passion. There is a fire burning deep within her soul---a flame that can't be extinguished. This week for our book club we are reading about two women who display the quality of being fierce in all it's glory. Jehosheba had a fierce protectiveness toward Joash, longing to keep him safe and keeping the line of the Messiah alive and well, and Deborah who had a fierce spirit and a close relationship with God. Let's take a minute and talk about Jehosheba. Her story is probably less known than Deborah's but it's just as important. She kept the Messiah's lineage intact. Jehosheba lived in a time where Athaliah was killing off all the king's sons. Jehosheba saw this and felt a huge desire to protect Joash, Athaliah's grandson. She even went as far as keeping him hidden in the same house as his grandmother, right under her nose. Now, there is only one way that Jehosheba would have been able to hide Joash in the same house as Athaliah---God. God saw her fierce desire to help save her nephew and keep the lineage of Jesus alive so He helped by shielding Joash from his grandmother. Seeing as this story is short and only a couple of verses in the bible, why would it possibly be included? "It is evidence of God's specific call on women to be fierce protector." J. Lee Grady Jesheba was called to be a protector and God knew that she would have a flame burning bright for the job He set before her. The other woman we are studying this week is more known but sometimes ignored because of the fact that she is a woman in a mans world. Deborah was a judge in Israel. Along with being a judge, she was a great prophetess. Her prophesies frequently came true, no matter how great. Deborah prophesied that Israel's enemy, Canaan, would gather his army and attack Israel. Because she had a great relationship with God, she was able to let her commanders know that God would defeat the enemy commander, which He did of course. There is one quality both these women possess, besides fierceness, and it's love...a love of God buring deep within each woman. "I believe love is the secret of a women's fierceness. When you allow God's love---however painful---to so perfectly control you, and when you trade your selfish concerns for God's priorities, the compassion you feel for people---especially for those who are in danger or at risk---will drive you to rescue them. You will stop caring so much for your own safety." J. Lee Grady I am sure there has been a time in your life where you have felt God's love so much that you completely forgot about yourself and let all your selfish desires dissipate. It might have been related to your children, family member, a complete stranger or even one of your fur-babies. God's love is so powerful that when we let it take over, amazing things can be accomplished. Just like Deborah and Jesheba, we can have our place in God's history set if we all His love to fill us and work through us. No matter how big or small the task, all of the require us to step outside of ourselves and see beyond our own wants and desires. To do this, a close relationship with God is required. Is your relationship with God as close as it could be, or could it us a little work? Let's Chat 1. Has there ever been a time where you have had a "maternal aggression and protected someone from danger? Please share your story. 2. Why do you think some Christian women are uncomfortable when other women do courageous thing? 3. Courageous women must become strong spiritually. Why is the power of praise so important in developing your strength? What else can you do to develop your spiritual strength besides praise?
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We tend to look at men as the "saviors." They are the head of the family, breadwinners, and protectors. But there have been times in God’s story that women have been the saviors. Despite all of Satan’s tries, women have played pivotal roles in making sure God’s will is done. This week, for our book club, we are reading about two women who ultimately saved their people. One was Esther who delivered the Jewish people from Haman’s evil plans and the other is Miriam, who made sure her brother Moses was kept from certain death. Most of you know the story of Esther. She is one of only two women to have a book of the Bible named after her. Her story is of hidden fears, retaining who she was in the face of danger, and the deliverance of her people thanks to her faithfulness to God. Granted, most prefer to look at Esther’s story as a romance novel, but that’s not the case. The love she received from the King, and possibly felt for the King, was just the platform to bounce off of when it came to asking for a pardon for the Jewish people. “The book of Esther is not about an ancient beauty contest, and it should not be trivialized as a romance. On the contrary, it depicts the brutality and exploitation women have faced through the centuries. It also offers hope to women by spotlighting how God used a brave Jewish girl to challenge the most sinister injustice.” J. Lee Grady pg 98 We have a tendency to overlook this book thinking it’s just a short story of love and romance, but in fact, it’s about so much more. God was using Esther to fight the evil that was before His people. In a book where God is never mentioned, we can see His hands over every action present. We see His guiding and prompting throughout this book--if we just pay attention. The sad fact is there are so many Esthers out there in the world today who are ignoring their Godly calling and choosing to remain in the flesh. True, following God is not easy. It wasn’t for Esther either. Out of fear, she had to hide who she truly was and perform actions that would have gone against her beliefs, all to be made queen. God knew exactly what He was asking of her though, and knew that she was the right woman for the job. She was to be the one to save the Jews. As for the other woman we are studying this week…she was merely a child when she became the savior of her bother. Her boldness and unwavering courage helped to ensure that Moses would be kept safe from harm in a world where death was a certainty for him. As a result, he went on to deliver his people from the Pharaoh. When Miriam saw the Pharaoh’s daughter scoop him up out of the water she rushed over and said: “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” This was not the action of a scared and shy child. She was filled with courage and strength to be able to approach royalty and confront her to make sure her brother was taken care of. This is not the end of her story as, later in life, we see her as a “Prophetess.” Her gifts from God have matured and allowed her to spread God’s message with better authority. The boldness and courage she had as a child has been used to help her hear God more clearly and convey His message to the people of Israel. But, as any earthly human, Miriam is not without her faults and spoke against Moses. But, like a loving father, God disciplined her with a very public display of leprosy. She was only human but got a little full of herself and God showed her that He was in charge. When much is given, much is required. These two women, Esther and Miriam, used their God-given gifts to make sure they delivered the Jewish people from death. Two different situations, two different scenarios, but one community---God’s loved and favored people. Both of these women were put into circumstances that would help save God’s loved people. They probably never imagined they would make such an impact on history or that they would be used for such a glorious task. But yet, God made sure they were equipped with everything they needed to accomplish the task set before them. This week, I pray that we can study through these women’s lives and see some of them in ourselves. We all have the ability to be great as long as we just find our strength from God. He will provide us with everything we need. Let’s Chat 1. Many like to look at Esther’s story as one of romance and love, but please share your thoughts. Do you see her story as something more, and if so, why should we keep from looking at it as a romance novel? 2. Mordecai and Esther were partners in their struggle against the wicked plans of Haman. How does this reveal God’s plan for men and women? 3. Can you think of a women in leadership you admire? What qualities does she possess that makes her a great leader? God's blessings are ours for the taking—if we are just willing to be believe Him. This week in our book club we are reading about Achsah and Hannah. These two women have very different stories, but they both have one underlying theme...faithfulness. Achsah was the daughter of Caleb, one of God's most faithful followers. She was pledged to be married to a champion. Her father wanted nothing less than that for his daughter. The right champion came along and they eventually got married, but when it came time for her inheritance, she not only got what was rightfully hers, she ended up with so much more by just asking for it and believing. As for Hannah, she was already married, but what she was lacking was a child. She had faith that one day she would become a mother. She was not longing to bring a child into this world just for the sake of having a little one to cuddle and love, she had an urgent feeling that she was called to raise a more faithful generation, and believed that one day God would make that calling come true. These two women, as do a lot of the women in the bible, have a strong belief that God will answer their prayers and bestow great blessings upon them. We can have the same faithfulness, but we tend to believe otherwise. The question is...why? We do we think we are not worthy of God's great blessings? Whether the answer is past relationships with our fathers or the way the current day church views a woman's place, we have accepted the false idea that God only wants to bestow His glorious blessings upon men. Through the chapters of this book so far, we have been shown that God LOVES lavishing His children with blessings. We have been shown examples of this not just in our chapters this week, but in previous chapters. Grady gives us a 3-step process of walking in faith and finding our belief in God's promises. 1. First we need to get rid of all the negative voices and doubt. 2. We must welcome those who God sends to us. 3. Lastly, we must hold out for our promise. What is the promise God has for you? What blessing are you holding out for? Let's chat about this week's chapters... 1. How long have you been willing to believe that God will fulfill His promise to you? Have you ever given up on that promise? 2. Do you have any past thought processes that have made it hard to believe in God's promise of wondrous blessings? 3. How would you define prosperity? Is it only material possessions for you, or does it mean more? 4. Please share your thoughts about our chapters this week and what stood out to you the most. If you have not already joined our private Facebook group, please click here to do so. {Written by Bethany} Different women, different backgrounds, one common thread—courage. For one, it's the courage to move forward and forget the past, for the other women we are studying this week, it's the courage to go against tradition and stand up for what they believe is right. For the next week we will be focusing on the 5 Daughters of Zelophehad and Ruth. Very different women from completely different backgrounds, but they all had to find their inner strength to accomplish what they set out to. Now, most of us have heard of Ruth and I will get to her a little later, but no many talk about the 5 sisters. There is a reason for that...If you don't pay attention, you will miss their story entirely. They are only talked about 5 places in the bible; Numbers 26:33, Number 27:1, Number 36:11, Joshua 17:3, & 1 Chronicles 7:15. These 5 women lived in a time where an inheritance was only guaranteed to the sons of the family, so when their father died, they were left with nothing. Tradition didn't stop them from asking for what they thought was right. "They approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, 'Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father's name disappear form his can because he had no sons? Give us property among our father's relatives.'" [Numbers 27:2-4] Back in that time son's were the ones that received an inheritance, not daughters. It must have taken an enormous amount of courage to walk up to the leaders of the tribes and ask for their father's land. But in a time where women were meek and mild, the daughters dared to step outside tradition and ask for what they felt was rightfully their. "The bible does not paint Zelophehad's daughters as rebels. They did not come to Moses with a vindictive spirit or an angry tone. They were not burning bras, carrying protest signs or screaming obscenities." J. Lee Grady I think the spirit and motives behind the daughter's request is what causes God to respond to Moses in this way; "What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them." [Numbers 27:7] The daughters knew the law and they came to Moses and the elders with an open heart and humble, simply asking for land to make a life upon. But, the laws of those times said otherwise. These 5 sister's courage, in essence, rewrote the laws, because God went on and gave a laid out plan for the path of an inheritance if their are no sons. Thanks to the courage these 5 women possessed, they paved the road for future women to be recognized after the passing of a beloved father or husband. Now Ruth, the other woman we are studying this week, didn't re-write the law, but she needed just as much courage to fulfill her God-given path. She was required to give up everything she new, everything she was, to move forward and find a life with her mother-in-law. Ruth was a Moabite. Israelites HATED Moabites. They didn't follow the God of Israel and lived a much different life. She was also a widow and childless, which in those times, was an abomination. She had no value. But Ruth faced a decision. She could return home and go back to the life she lived before, or she could cast aside all that she was, stay with Naomi, and start from scratch. Ruth found the courage to go walk the road less traveled. What took the most courage is what Grady says right here, "Many people choose to follow Christ, but not everyone is willing to take up his or her cross and forsake all." Ruth gave up EVERYTHING to follow God. This must have been the hardest decision in her life considering she was not the most qualified candidate to receive God's grace, but she, in fact, did, and was rewarded greatly for her courage. What I loved about these women that we are studying this week, is that none of them were guaranteed a positive outcome. They took the amazing leap of faith, dug deep, and required more of their lives. They would not settle for less. There will be times where we might need to go against the "norm" or step outside of our comfort zones and these women will be great reminders of when we put our faith in God, find our strength and courage through His power, we can accomplish amazing things...even re-write laws. If you want to chat more, please feel free to join our private Facebook group where we post discussion questions beyond hat is listed below. [Let's Chat] 1. The 5 Daughters of Zelophehad went against their societal norms and asked for their rightful inheritance. What current day women has done the same and been an inspiration for you? 2. Women are sometimes discouraged from taking initiative. Has there ever been a time in your life where this has happened to you? 3. Have you ever faced a time in your life where you had to let go of everything, like Ruth, to receive God's blessings? 4. Share one thing that stood out to you in our reading for this week. [Written by Bethany] |
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