Faithful women

I just finished reading the book "Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God" by Noel Piper. Patrick bought the book for me several months ago and I just sat down to read it. It only took a few days to read and that includes going back to a few things and re-reading before I felt like I could move on. If you're interested in biographies or just a great read about women who have paved a path of faith for us, read this book!

What an encouraging book! Not only were there stories of five faithful women, Noel Piper always wrote about things the women challenged her to think or question. After I finished reading about each woman, I would just sit there with a humbled heart. I want faith like these women had!

I only knew of one woman she wrote about, Sarah Edwards. Although her story was more familiar I was still moved by the life and faith of Mrs. Edwards. However, I have to say that her story wasn't the one that moved me most. I was blown away by each woman, but the stories of Gladys Aylward and Esther Ahn Kim were most powerful to me. Their lives, the paths they were willing to walk for the Lord, the faith they sought after and the way the desired to know God and make Him known seriously left me speechless and amazed.

At one point in the last of the stort biographies Noel quoted Helen Rosaveare, "From that morning, a hatred of sin was born. Till then I had hated the consequence of sin, the shame of failure, the fear of exposure...Suddenly I now knew an intense hatred of all that had crucified my Lord..." I was so blown away by her revelation. I certainly don't hate sin like that! Those words surely showed me how I wanted to change, how I wanted to know the Lord and how I wanted to sincerely hate sin and truly love God.

The joy each of these women knew was beyond words. Each story is so different. The real lives of women, ordinary to most, but faithful to God. This book really challenged me to know God more, to find that joy in Him, to be willing to follow His voice - no matter where or to what He calls me. After reading about these women I'm certain that's why they knew the Lord, why they knew joy - they were walking with Him in such an intimate way that they were certain of the calling they had recieved and they willingly walked hand and hand with the Lord through it all.