Finding joy in the everyday

Deborah The more I learn about the women of the bible the more I discover they aren’t mentioned in the bible due the state of their homes, the number of hours they spend cleaning, whether they cook healthy meals but rather their faith in God and placing their trust in Him and doing as He requires of them. This may mean becoming a missionary or doctor to help the sick, a teacher or nurse or staying at home. Perhaps caring for the sick or helping those in the neighbourhood, reaching out to women in the church who have been abused. The tasks that God gives us to do will vary and may change as we grow older and circumstances change. Regardless, what He asks of me will be different to what He asks of you — so do not compare yourself to other women, undertake your mission the best you can with complete trust in God.  Back to Deborah, well, she was a remarkable woman and Israel’s only female judge.  She was married but we do not know if she had any children, we know ...

Joanna : who was she and why is she mentioned in the bible.  Only mentioned three times in the bible, Joanna was significant enough to be mentioned by Luke.  We don’t know her family, what village she grew up in, or if she had many children. This is what we know about her.  Firstly, Joanna was an wealthy upper-class Jewish woman and married to Chuza, an influential member of the staff to Herod Antipas, the Roman appointed ruler of Galilee. Secondly, at some stage in Joanna’s life she came into direct contact with Jesus of Nazareth who cured her of an unspecified illness. Luke’s gospel mentions ‘evil spirits’ and ‘infirmities’ , which means that Joanna’s illness could have been almost anything. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,  And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance. (Luke ...

Eve Eve means “life” or “life-giving,” or “mother of all who have life,” — And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (Genesis 3:20) We all know the story of Eve. A woman born from man, who came into a world that was perfect in every way. She lived in Paradise, possessing every pleasure imaginable. She never knew the meaning of embarrassment, misunderstanding, hurt, envy, bitterness, grief, pain or guilt until she listened to her enemy and began to doubt God.  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:25) One day as Eve was wandering around the Garden of Eden she met a very cunning serpent. She knew she wasn’t to touch or eat fruit from one particular tree — “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” (Genesis 3:2-3) But the serpent was ver...

Jezebel   Jezebel is the classic example of a woman who exercised her influence to her husbands detriment. Jezebel was a religious woman, spreading her idolatry through Israel. She was powerful, cunning and arrogant, she actively opposed God and did evil openly without remorse.  She was willing to enhance her power at the expense of others.  In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. (1 Kings 16:29-31) Ahab, king of Israel was already inclined to do evil before he married Jezebel. In fact he was ...

Priscilla Priscilla and her husband Aquila are mentioned six times in the bible. Each time their names are together, sometimes Priscilla's name is first, others is Aquila.  Paul first meets the couple in Corinth. They had recently returned from Italy because all Jews had to depart Rome. Paul stayed with them because they had the same occupation of tent making, and when he travelled on, the couple went with him.  Acts 18:1-3 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.   So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.   Acts 18:18 [Paul Returns to Antioch ] So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla ...

Lot’s wife L ikewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (Luke 17:28-33) There is very little written about Lot’s wife, we don’t even know her name.  However, we all remember one thing — she looked back and that was her downfall.  Lot, his wife and daughters lived in the wicked city of Sodom — a place of terrible sin and debauchery and one no Christian would ever want to reside. The story of Lot starts with the arrival of two angels:...

Abigail Abigail is another amazing woman in the Bible, a wise, brave and able woman, much like Queen Esther. She was married to a very rich but the most unpleasant and ungodly man — Nabal. We do not know how Nabal treated Abigail, but if he was so horrible to others, it is likely he treated her poorly as well. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb. (1 Samuel 25: 2-3) David sent ten young men to Nabal to collect any gifts he chose to give “Go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!”. Even with such a pleasant greeting, N abal turned them away rudely, pretending not to know who David was.  ...