Deborah was one of those women who made you want to follow. Her strength of character and her wise, confident resolve won her a place of unrivaled leadership in Israel - and showed again that God can bring us success when our trust is in him.

Selections from Judges 4:6-10 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

[Deborah] summoned Barak . . . and said to him, "Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded: ‘Go, draw out your troops to Mount Tabor. Take with you 10,000 men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites? Then I will lure Sisera commander of Jabin’s forces, his chariots, and his army at the Wadi Kishon [to fight] against you, and I will hand him over to you.’ ”

Barak replied, "If you will come with me, then I will go. But if you will not come with me, I will not go." She responded, "I will certainly go with you, but . . . you will receive no honor on the road you are about to takereceive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.”

Look At It This Way

Deborah was one of those women who did it all. She was a wife, a prophetess, a civic official, a judge, a worship leader. (Wow.) God seems to equip some people with an incredible load of talent and versatility. And those who make those gifts available for his use are able to accomplish amazing things with their twenty-four hours. Are you able to look at women like that and - without picking them apart or feeling the need to make excuses - thank God for what they do? And thank God for what he's given you to do?

Christian womanhood is at risk in our culture today. Women are hearing many voices with dazzling messages of self-actualization, self-fulfillment, self-promo-tion, and all the other self-approaches to life. We are in desperate need for women of faith who are willing to courageously stand against sin and stand for righteousness. But it is not enough for us to make this deci-sion for ourselves and to carry the banner alone. We must motivate others to follow.

Christian women need to have a vision of women confidently and boldly serving the Lord God. We need to challenge them to lives of virtue and servanthood in order to glorify our glorious God. We cannot issue the challenge in a vacuum. We must be willing to make the investment, to give faithful instruction, to nurture, then to sound a clarion call to biblical womanhood.

Are there women who will step forward and bring their lives under the authority of God's Word regardless of the risks? Together we will celebrate a resurgence of virtuous living among the daughters of the King.

- Susan Hunt

Final Thought

You may feel that you don't have a lot of influence on anybody. But you do. Offer up to God your talents and your relationships. And begin using them to extend His kingdom.

We know many of the great personalities from the Bible by their strength and sacrifice. We know others, however, by their weakness and wickedness. Yet they all have lessons to teach. Women of Character is available for purchase online...