Courageous Women of the Bible {Book Review}

Last fall, I wrote about courage and being brave. It’s something I think about a lot because courage isn’t just for the extreme actions we hear about. Courage is needed in our day-to-day activities. {Tweet this}

To keep trying when nothing is going our way.

To face a new day when we’d rather pull the covers over our heads.

To be ourselves instead of trying to be like someone else.

To share our stories when it means being vulnerable.

To have the hard conversations even though it’s uncomfortable.

We may not think of ourselves as being courageous, but we see it in others. And, sometimes, someone else’s brave example helps us look for it in ourselves.

Because I think so much about what it means to be brave, I was excited to hear about the opportunity to review Courageous Women of the Bible: Leaving Behind Fear & Insecurity for a Life of Confidence and Freedom by LaTan Roland Murphy.

In this book, the author explores eleven courageous women in the Bible, relating their stories to ours today. What did it mean for women like Deborah, Abigail, Mary, Jochebed, and the widow with two coins to be courageous women then? And what does it mean for you and me to be courageous women today?

At the very beginning of the book, LaTan explains the difference between worldly courage and Godly courage.

“Worldly courage often makes a rebellious, sinful nature. Worldly courage screams, ‘You can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do!’ or ‘It will be my way!’ Or even, ‘You can’t stop me!’

“Courage by God’s standards is the ability to act, regardless of human fear or frailty, and enables us to do supernatural things because we are not acting alone—God is with us. And sometimes, godly courage is manifested in the ability to not act outwardly, but to wait, pray, and be still in God’s presence.

“Real godly courage is laced with an attitude of obedient gratitude, knowing that He is able to lead, guide, and direct our lives.” – LaTan Roland Murphy, Courageous Women of the Bible (pgs 14-15)

Looking back in my own life, I remember many times when waiting on God looked to others like I was doing nothing. What I knew was Godly courage to wait and listen for God to lead, looked like a lack of worldly courage to make things happen. {Tweet this}

That’s often the way it is. Walking in faith takes courage, but that faith-filled courage can be difficult for the world to see or understand.

Courageous Women of the Bible has 12 chapters. Each of the first 11 chapters focuses on a courageous woman from the Bible and includes questions to think about at the end of each chapter. The last chapter is a journaling section. I read this book on my own, but it would also make a great group study.

More about this book (from the back cover):

Learn to live, love, and lead courageously—as you boldly choose to trust God.

Whether you're facing struggles with singleness, the mounting challenges of marriage and motherhood, health issues, a financial crisis—God has equipped you to walk in freedom and confidence as you abide in Him, strengthened by His power and provision. Through the stories of eleven brave women of the Bible who made faith-filled choices that positioned them for success, LaTan Roland Murphy exhorts, encourages, and empowers women of all ages. With warmth and wit, she illustrates how you, like Deborah, Jael, Mary, and others, can look beyond your circumstances and lay hold of the courage needed to

· draw closer to Jesus when facing illness, isolation, or rejection;
· live and give generously, even amid financial hardship; and
· step out into faithful, fearless living as a wife, mother, friend or coworker—no matter the season of life or what lies ahead.

You can visit LaTan on her website, and find Courageous Women of the Bible on Amazon.

*Giveaway*

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers and BlogAbout Blogger Network, I have one copy of Courageous Women of the Bible to give away!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your email address (so I can contact you if you win.) For extra entries, share this post on social media (let me know in the comments where you shared.) [Privacy policy]

Drawing ends next Monday, June 11. (Sorry, only U.S. residents are eligible to win.)

In Christ,

Laura 

[Photo credit: Unsplash.com] 

(Note: I received a free copy of Courageous Women of the Bible from Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest review.)

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