Throughout Scripture, God called upon women to fulfill His purpose and plans on the Earth. In the Old Testament, Deborah was a prophet and a righteous judge who led the Israel to victory. Esther was forced to become a queen, yet God used her to save her people.
“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14b (NKJV)
Then in the New Testament, we read many stories of how Jesus interacted with women. He came into this world at a time when women were looked down upon by culture and didn’t have a voice in society. YET, He chose to interact with women in revolutionary ways! In every encounter He showed women they are SEEN, KNOWN, and VALUED!
The First Evangelist
In Jesus’ longest recorded conversation, He spoke with a Samaritan woman who was cloaked in shame. He offered her FREEDOM, grace, and eternal life. After that moment with Jesus, she became the first evangelist—running back to her village to tell everyone about the Man who told her everything she ever did.
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” […] So, the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a Man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:13-14; 28-29, ESV)
The First Witness to the Resurrection
At a time when women were not allowed to testify in a court of law, Jesus chose Mary Magdalene to be the first person to witness Him after His resurrection. After the encounter, she ran to tell the disciples the message Jesus' gave her and tell everyone Who she saw.
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. […] She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” […] “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them His message. (John 20:11-18, NLT)
The Marginalized and "Unclean" Healed
In Luke 8, we read about a woman who had been suffering for 12 years with an issue of blood. Society told her she was unclean, but her faith was strong. When she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she was immediately healed.
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Luke 8:46-48, ESV)
God has a Purpose for YOU!
God is still calling and using women to do amazing things for His kingdom. There is no limit to what God can do in and through YOUR life! If you have ever found yourself questioning your purpose or place in this world, let us remind you—God has a plan for YOU! Let Him write your story and redeem every hurt and replace shame with grace!
Luke 1:45
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her! (NIV)
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. (NIV)
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you," says the Lord, "plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (AMP)
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. (NLT)
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)
There are no qualifiers on the Great Commission! ALL believers are called to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone we encounter. If God has given you a dream or placed a passion inside your heart, follow His leading.
Do you want to go deeper and learn more about how God is still empowering women today? Watch these conversations with Lisa Harper, Toni Collier, Kristi McLelland, Jennie Allen, and Ruth Cho Simons.
- Episode 836 | Then God Created Woman
- Episode 837 | Women Equipped to Lead
- Episode 838 | Women Called to Lead
- Episode 839 | Women of Courageous Obedience
- Episode 840 | How Women Change the World
If you find yourself questioning how to find your purpose or wondering how to live fully in your God-given calling, we encourage you to watch these conversations with Laurie Crouch, Lisa Bevere, Janice Gaines, Sheila Walsh, and Donna Pisani.
