As we approach the end of Women's History Month I pay tribute to some known and some less well known Women of the Bible. These women are noted for their faith, courage, intelligence and their inner and outer beauty. They will be used to highlight the power of a good woman to shape her home and her community. One writer put it this way: "A truly converted woman will exert a powerful, transforming influence for good. Connected with her husband, she may aid him in his work and become the means of encouragement and blessing to him. When the will and way are brought into subjection to the Spirit of God, there is no limit to the good that can be accomplished." (White, E. G., Welfare Ministry, 157, 1908).
The story about Abigail who was married to a man who the Bible called "churlish" (rude, boorish) is a good example of how good can be accomplished even in the most difficult of circumstances. He could not have been easy to live with yet she saved his life because of her prudence, and wisdom and most of all her faith in God's Promises. (1 Samuel 25: 5-44) She believed that God would work through David for His purpose and did her part to make that happen.
There are also unmarried women who are notable. The woman at the well (John 4) had been a woman of ill-repute whose encounter with Jesus Christ turned her into a powerful witness that caused a whole city to follow Christ. The woman who had the "issue of blood" who sought Christ and was healed but more importantly, singled out to demonstrate her faith (Luke 8:43-48) is another example of how Christ viewed women.
The story of Ruth is notable because it details how a woman who was raised in a pagan land and was influenced by her husband's family became a worshipper of the true God of heaven. King David was her great-great grandson
Who are some other women of the Bible who have been important to your Christian walk? Priscilla? Huldah? Eve? Whoever you choose, it is important to see how Christ values women. There are examples of how women were treated unfairly and even violently but when you see how God viewed women in the Old and New Testaments, you can be assured that He sees your worth in everything you do. In your home, in your work, in your church, in your marriage and in your community, God sees you. It is with this blessed assurance that you can go forward in all that you do today. You are a blessing!