Courageous Women of the Bible by LaTan Roland Murphy {and a Giveaway!}

Friends,

I’m so excited to share a new, WONDERFUL book with you. I just finished reading Courageous Women of the Bible by LaTan Roland Murphy, and I want to suggest that you get yourself a copy of this terrific book today! Let me tell you about it… Murphy wants to encourage women to be courageous, even though all women struggle in some area of life. She takes a handful of women from the Bible and describes in detail each woman’s struggle.  But, she also writes about how each woman harnessed God’s power to courageously overcome. Murphy writes about Deborah, who had to step up in order to get a job done that a man fearfully neglected to do. She writes about Abigail, who courageously offered provisions as a peace-offering after her husband arrogantly and totally messed up. Murphy writes about Bathsheba, who found herself in a down-right terrible situation, but courageously allowed God to redeem her life. Another chapter is about the woman with the blood issue. Can you imagine the courage it took to approach Jesus? Murphy also describes the dire situation in which Jochabed, the mother of Moses, found herself. I truly cannot imagine finding the courage to place my precious baby boy in the crocodile infested Nile River.

Courageous Women  takes you right into the lives of these women. You can almost see and hear their surroundings, and you can imagine what it took to overcome their tribulations. And then Murphy helps you understand how we too can trust God. She invites us to courageously live a life that allows Him to overcome the trials we are facing.

I’ve absolutely loved reading this book. I’ve tried to savor it and make it last a little longer by only allowing myself to read one chapter a day, but it’s been hard not to jump right into the next chapter! I also love that at the end of each chapter is a “Courage Quest” section that has challenged me to dig a little deeper into my own faith journey. This would be a fun book to read with a group of friends and then discuss those questions together. And then I was so excited to find that they final chapter is a journalling chapter, a place where the reader can record all that she has learned in each chapter of the book.

So the big question of the day is: Can we trust God, even if our dreams have not been fulfilled? Can we press into our lives with an “It is well” faith, knowing that god is our safe haven? That He is a good God wanting what’s best for us? Is it possible that the thing you called dead is not really dead at all, but a resurrection work in process- with God working behind the scenes in your life? This includes your dead marriage, your dead friendship, your health, finances, your child’s dead faith, or any disappointments and confusion. I know it sounds cliche, but it’s not- it’s truth. The best truth I have to give to you, a truth that I believe is straight from God’s heart to yours. Want more courage, less fear? Then trust God with everything you are, and everything your have…no matter what. – Latan Roland Murphy

If you’d like to be encouraged and compelled and motivated to courageously let God into the struggles of your life, please read this book!

P.S. Over the past year, I’ve gotten to know LaTan Murphy just a little. She has a vibrant, joyful, encouraging outlook on life, and her wonderful personality comes through in her writing. Delightful!