When you face one of life’s inevitable problems or uncomfortable emotions, where do you turn?
Do you call your mom, your husband, or your closest girlfriends for advice? Do you read books and blog articles, looking for helpful tips and encouragement? Do you post on social media, looking for reassurance and perspective you may have missed?
While these can all be appropriate responses, there’s one source of inspiration and encouragement many of us often overlook: the women of the Bible.
Despite the fact that these remarkable women lived thousands of years ago, in a time and culture vastly different from our own, their lives and stories are still full of hope, inspiration, and encouragement for us today.
When we read about their doubts, their trials, their heroic acts of faith, and their missteps, we can take comfort in knowing that we aren’t alone in our struggles.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”
Whether you have struggled (or are currently struggling) to trust that God will come through for you as you battle doubt, loss, infertility, or seemingly hopeless dreams, these courageous women of the Bible remind us that the God who came through in the past is the same God who comes through for us today.
It just may not be on our timetable or in the way we initially envisioned—and that’s okay.
Who Were the Women of the Bible?
The Bible mentions hundreds of women throughout its pages, each of whom had her own story, personality, triumphs, and struggles.
Some of the women of the Bible are named within Scripture, while others are not. Some have long, inspiring stories, while others are barely mentioned. Some are well known even today, while others are largely forgotten.
These Esther Press articles provide a deeper dive into these incredible women of the Bible and how their stories can challenge, encourage, and inspire us today:
- Deborah’s Enduring Example of Service
- The Story of Rachel Reminds Us to Pray, Trust, and Wait
- How Hagar Changed Everything . . . By Waiting
- What Hannah in the Bible Teaches Us Today
- Esther’s Significance
- Sarah’s Impatience
- Learning from the Faithfulness of Ruth
- Eve’s Importance for Us Today
- What Miriam’s Successes and Failures Can Teach Us
- Five Lessons We Learn from Martha (And the Tender Rebuke She Received)
- What Mary Magdalene in the Bible Can Teach Us About Courage
What Issues Did the Women of the Bible Struggle to Overcome?
Life wasn’t always easy for the women of the Bible.
Living in a patriarchal society, they were often overlooked, dismissed, or silenced. They endured difficult family dynamics, including favoritism, rivalry, and betrayal. They struggled with infertility, jealousy, doubt, grief, and despair. They faced temptation, and when they gave in, they suffered the consequences.
Yet, despite all of these challenges and more, many of these women stood up for what was right, chose to trust God even when they couldn’t hear God’s voice, and created impressive legacies that still comfort, encourage, inspire us today.
How to Find Encouragement from the Women of the Bible
It’s one thing to “know” we take comfort from these incredible women of the bible. But how do we do that, practically speaking?
Whether you’re systematically reading through a book of the Bible or have gone on a hunt through God’s Word for an inspiring story that specifically deals with something you are going through, you might run across a woman’s story you’d like to delve into more intentionally.
Here’s how you can find comfort and encouragement from these inspiring stories.
1. Read The Full Story (with Related Passages)
Once you find a relevant story, start by reading the story in its entirety. Then, using a study Bible or search engine, be sure to look throughout Scripture for other places she might be mentioned as well.
You may even consider reading additional materials about the culture or time period the women of the Bible lived in, as this can give you additional information that might bring parts of their stories to life.
Don’t simply pull a few verses about one woman out of context, as this may not give you an accurate picture of her life, the challenges she faced, or how she overcame them. Learn as much as you can!
2. Examine the Story
As you read, ask yourself Bible study questions such as:
- How is this woman’s life the same as mine? How is it different?
- What choices did she make? Were they good choices or bad choices?
- What choice(s) would you have made in her situation?
- What happened as a result of her choices, both the good and the bad?
- How did God show up through her story? (It may not be obvious, but He’s always at work!)
- How might God show up in your story?
You don’t have to have answers to all of these questions (some women of the Bible have more detailed stories than others), but asking yourself questions like these ones might spark an insight you might otherwise miss.
3. Find Parallels Between the Woman’s Story and Your Story
Are you facing similar pressures as the woman in the story? What choices did she make and what were the results of her actions? Knowing how her story turned out, would you want to make the same or different choices today?
While we have no guarantee that God will come through for us in the same way or on the same timetable that He came through for the women of the Bible, these stories can remind us to take comfort in His unchanging character.
In fact, the Bible is full of verses that tell us that God’s character does not change.
For example, Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Similarly, in Malachi 3:6, God tells us, “For I the Lord do not change.”
We also know that God is good and merciful. Lamentations 3:22 tells us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.”
God’s examples of faithfulness to women of the Bible are assurance we can trust Him with our stories too.
Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author, speaker, and founder of EquippingGodlyWomen.com, a popular Christian-living website dedicated to helping busy Christian moms find practical ways to go “all in” in faith and family. You can learn more about Brittany’s latest books, Fall in Love with God’s Word and Follow God’s Will, on her website.