Courageous Women of the Bible

Leaving Behind Fear and Insecurity for a Life of Confidence and Freedom

LaTan Roland Murphy

• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780764230523
• eBook ISBN: 9781493413430
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Gender Studies

How Women Can Live with Boldness and Confidence Every Day

Every woman knows it's easy to lose sight of the heavenly power of God at work in our lives during times of hardship, exhaustion, stress, and change. But no matter the situation--whether it's our health, marriage, finances, family, or vocation--God has equipped all women with the power and influence to live freely and confidently.

With warmth and a welcoming style, speaker and award-winning writer LaTan Roland Murphy illuminates eleven courageous women in the Bible and shows how each was uniquely positioned for success because of her courageous choices. From Deborah to Jael to Mary, Murphy shows that these women chose to draw near to God; as a result, they were equipped with power for the supernatural ability to live courageous lives despite often undesirable circumstances. These stories will inspire women of all ages to trust God, minister to others, and live confidently and courageously no matter the season of life or what lies ahead.

1
Man Up and Lead!

I doubt that Deborah, a spunky woman from Ephraim, saw herself as more than Lappidoth’s wife and a prophetess before being appointed as judge and ruler, with all of Israel under her wise jurisdiction. It’s doubtful Deborah ever imagined herself in such a highly appointed position as deliverer and executive leader of Israel. And I doubt that any of us can imagine all we are capable of with God’s perfect positioning in our lives. But in the same way Deborah courageously stepped up to lead as the fourth judge of Israel—the only woman to have held that important position—we also can bravely step forward into the God-filled, purposed positioning of our lives.

But sometimes we fail to recognize all that we are capable of, until we are in a position demanding “more” of us. And sometimes more is required of us because others fail to do their part in a given situation. For Deborah, this occurred when Barak, a military leader appointed by God to lead the Israelite nation into battle, fearfully pulled back from his leadership role, refusing to go into battle unless Deborah accompanied him. Deborah was put in a position demanding that she add “warrior” to her already impressive résumé as judge and ruler. Too bad Barak missed his opportunity to lead strongly and faithfully, but Judge Deborah would not miss hers.

So, what’s a woman to do when her world falls apart? When those she thought she could count on to fight for her greater good shrink back in fear? Scripture offers us a glimpse of Judge Deborah’s world crumbling before her very eyes, and nothing could ready her for it except courage:

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Judges 4:1–5

Can you see her in your mind? Sitting under the palm tree, shoulders squared, jaw fixed, assessing the situations and circumstances all around with eyes of steel? Dedicating herself to the purposed positioning of God as the sun peeked through the clouds at the start of each new day? We’d be smart to do the same—seek God at the start of our day. How else could Deborah have found wisdom to lead and to fulfill each role of her life with such excellence? How can we?

As the cries of the Israelite nation traveled like the wind across the beautiful hill country of Ephraim reaching the obedient ears of Deborah, she must have struggled with her own human nature warring against her godly best. Watching the suffering and cruel oppression of the people of God and desperately wanting to experience freedom. I think that as Deborah settled under the palm tree, her mind also settled on the realization of all she’d been entrusted with. Leadership is needed in every arena of life. A country without a leader suffers. The most powerful leader is one who understands that his or her ability to lead is no match for God’s leadership.

There must have been times when Deborah felt like she was hanging on by her fingernails, as the weight of her burdened heart pressed in. Did she sigh a long, disillusioned sigh—wondering what happened to the godly warriors who once fought for their nation’s freedom? Did she silently whisper a prayer, her heart crying out for answers, as we do, while watching Fox News or CNN? It’s hard not to become disillusioned with so many negative news reports.

Sometimes, while watching the news, my heart is overwhelmed and I think to myself: If I see or hear one more sad or bad thing, I am going to fall into total despair: rapes, murders, burglaries, terrorist attacks, Amber Alerts, sex trafficking—to name a few. How about you, friend? Do you feel the same? If so, we can sympathize with Judge Deborah’s need for courage as she watched the progressive evil in her world. Stunned, as we are, to see how far from God’s truth her world had gone.

It Takes Courage for Real Women to Face Real Enemies

Deborah was a real woman, like you and me, with real-life struggles, insecurities, and fears; yet as she devoted both her strengths and her weaknesses to God, He equipped her to listen, speak, and act with power, purpose, and anointing—in an ancient world where women rarely were leaders, and were not respected as such. Perhaps God positioned Deborah to prepare future generations of women and girls to find respect in life and leadership also. We can be inspired by Deborah, knowing that as the Israelite nation cried out to God for freedom once again, Deborah cried out to God for real-life answers to her very real-life situations.

How she must have wished the nation of Israel had remembered Joshua’s words and passed them down to the next generation:

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:7–9

Thankfully, Deborah had remained strong and courageous. God’s supernatural power was with Deborah; her success as a woman was nothing short of living proof of God’s loving hand on her life and leadership. Moses, Joshua, and Ehud had “manned up” to lead God’s people out of bondage in times past, and now Deborah faced forward to the battle ahead—keeping the courageous legacy of others close to her heart while creating a godly legacy of her own for the next generation. And as she did, she courageously chose to leave behind her fears and insecurities to pursue a life of confidence and freedom.

What about you, friend? Do you have a few fears and insecurities fighting against your daily freedom? Does your enemy have a name? Deborah’s enemy had a name—Sisera. And his nine hundred iron chariots were intimidating and fierce, causing panic to ripple through the band of worn-out Israelites who were surely weary from the battles they’d already faced. But God had spoken, whispering in Deborah’s ear a battle plan that included a man named Barak:

She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

Judges 4:6–8

“You’ll go . . . if I go with you?” Deborah must have been speechless. God had provided 10,000 people and Barak refused to go without one woman—Deborah. We might wonder: Where’s your courage, Barak? Maybe we need to ask ourselves the same question: Where is our courage? Are we willing to lead courageously, or do we need someone to go with us because we lack confidence?

Barak’s focus had turned away from God and toward his fears; he was looking to others for courage. I think God wants us to stop being disillusioned by the enemy, to set our prayer hearts into motion so we can live courageously, trusting that His power is all the power we will ever need—today, tomorrow, and forever—for every battle we will ever face.

Imagine the long line of compromisers—disgruntled, needy people waiting to hear a word of wisdom from one woman, Deborah, the representative of God symbolizing peaceful living, if there was any to be found in their fallen culture. Like Barak, they also must have sensed the power residing inside of the judge and warrior Deborah. Both men and women coming with respect and expectation as Deborah sat judging and ruling over the nation of God’s chosen people.1 As her tired eyes shifted, left and then right, assessing every situation, do you think she ever grew faint because of her overwhelming responsibilities resolving issues such as land disputes or marital discord?

Our best attempt to relate to Deborah might fail. But let’s think of our worst day of dealing with grumbling co-workers and aging parents, or try to relate to Deborah’s exhaustion after listening to your family complaining about a single meal. Do you fall apart? Fall into bed feeling like a failure because your kids have been obstinate all day long and your husband is withdrawn? Now try to imagine ruling over an entire nation of grumbling adults. That would put most of us six feet under!

God can give us spiritual eyes to see our problems as spiritual battles that are being waged. And we can live confidently, knowing that whatever battles are yet ahead, God will equip us and provide people to support us when we need it.

“Certainly, I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. There Barak summoned Zebulon and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

Judges 4:9–10 NIV

We think our daily stress is bad? Imagine being told that Sisera’s nine hundred iron chariots are coming to attack you—right in your neighborhood! It would be equivalent to nine hundred army tanks coming your way. Intimidating, huh? Remember, the Israelite nation was weary from battles past, and after battling against so many enemies, no wonder they lacked courage. As you battle against deep insecurities, do you give up or remain faithful to God—doing what you can to ensure this season of life is your most powerful one yet, with or without a man to lead you? Will you be the woman God planned for you to be? With God by your side, who needs 10,000 warriors to fight for you?

It was God going with Deborah, equipping her with the ability to persevere and to discern what she needed to say to instruct even the most powerful men in her day. Impressive, huh? It’d be like presiding over a meeting in a boardroom and having the final say. Can you see the determination in her face, her eyes filled with grace but also strength when she said to Barak, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you—go?”2

Imagine the courage it must have taken for Deborah to not only advise Barak but to go with him and the warriors into battle. I don’t know about you, but I’m a princess who wants to be rescued and would rather stay in the safety of my home while my man led in battle to protect me. But I have also witnessed the strength of many military women, who would gladly have gone into battle, leading confidently because of their commitment to our country, even if they felt moments of weakness or fear.

Courage Helps Us Face Our Tomorrows

I believe that Deborah didn’t always feel the strength that others thought came effortlessly for her. But obstacles are simply opportunities with God by our side—even when God’s appointed man refuses to man up and lead. Deborah inspires us to “go” courageously into battle and shows us how not to squander a moment of our God-given appointments. As she exercised her faith in God, I think she became more than a number, more than just a woman. Because heaven takes note of our willingness to serve the Lord. God saw Deborah’s dedicated heart and gifted her with all she would need to accomplish all that He desired. Nothing can stop this kind of faith gone courage, not in Deborah’s life, not in your life, and not in mine:

And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?”

Judges 4:14

Victory demands that we get up. Lying around won’t get us to our better tomorrows, friend. It takes wild courage to fight against oppression and depression. We are more than conquerors as mothers, wives, grandmothers, sisters, friends, co-workers.3 We can lead strong, knowing that “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV).

Come as you are, friend. Deborah’s role as judge was symbolic and a “welcome” sign of sorts—inviting the people to come just as they were. She would stand in the gap for them, representing their individual case to God. Deborah lived before Christ’s birth, when people counted on priests, judges, then kings to lead, represent, and help them through daily struggles—resolving conflicts of life and offering wisdom for living. Only the high priest could enter the sacred place where God’s spirit dwelt, and that happened behind a veil.

Deborah’s open-air courtroom, the palm of Deborah, provided a place where the voice of God could be heard through a judge, wife, and warrior to the people she so loved. The truth of her life-giving wisdom must have poured over the exhausted, sinful nation of Israel like pure spring water replenishing their souls. Deborah’s open-air courtroom was a foreshadowing of the freedom we can experience in coming into the presence of Jesus any time, day or night; Jesus gave His life on the cross and now stands between the Father and us these precious days representing our “case”—our every life circumstance—with forgiveness, love, and grace.

Years ago, my daughter went through a very hurtful time in her life when a man who had promised to love and cherish her broke his promise. I experienced so much anger and was unable to forgive and unable to pray. My child’s life had been affected, and the war raging inside of me was overwhelming. If I’d been living in Deborah’s day, I might have angrily huffed and puffed my way to the palm tree where she sat judging the nation. But I am privileged, as you are, my friend, to come openly to God when I’ve lost my way. And sitting in my fuzzy pink bathrobe, I cried out to G...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Endorsements
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Man Up and Lead!
• 2. Messy Courage
• 3. Courage Comes in the Most Unlikely and Least Affluent
• 4. What’s in Your Hand?
• 5. Own Your Tomorrows
• 6. Enough
• 7. Come Empty, Leave Full
• 8. Birthing Courage
• 9. Naked Courage
• 10. Crocodile Faith
• 11. Safe Haven
• 12. Courage Coming
• Notes
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Back Cover