When David’s men asked Nabal for provisions, he turned them down, despite the kindness that David’s men had shown him. He was quick-tempered and foolish and treated everyone harshly. (Read more in 2 Timothy 1:1-7 and 2 Timothy 3:14-15.)Ībigail was the wife of a wicked man, Nabal. Lois and Eunice embraced their spiritual commitment to their son and grandson, and their daily leadership and example allowed many to come to faith in Christ as Timothy walked out the faith they had passed down to him. The daily faithfulness of Lois and Eunice to teach Timothy the Scriptures and model genuine faith in front of him influenced many more people than Timothy. Timothy traveled with Paul throughout the Roman world, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were known for their sincere faith, which affected Timothy at a young age, and in turn, influenced the spread of the gospel throughout the first century. All we know for sure is that they taught Timothy, their grandson and son, to know and fear the Lord. They may not have died for their faith or shared it in a stadium full of people. Lois and Eunice may not have led hundreds of people to the Lord. Clearly, he respected the way Lois and Eunice taught Timothy, both in word and deed, creating in him a strong foundation upon which God was able to build a ministry that had incredible, lasting effects. In more than one place in the Bible, Paul notes that this was a direct result of Timothy’s mom and grandma teaching him. When Paul first encountered Timothy, he recognized quickly how solid his faith was and how deep his spiritual knowledge ran. While Paul seemed to view Timothy as his spiritual son, he also acknowledged the great impact Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, had in his life.Īs Paul mentions later, Lois and Eunice taught Timothy “the sacred Scriptures” ( 2 Timothy 3:14-15) – something he needed to lean on while in the trenches of ministry in the early church. In his efforts to bolster Timothy’s resolve to spread the gospel and shepherd the church, Paul appealed to Timothy’s family legacy of belief. When the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his protégé and partner in ministry, encouraging him in his faith and in his ministry, the first thing he mentioned was Timothy’s upbringing. Instead of killing the Hebrew children, Shiprah and Puah saved them. But because these women feared God and were certain He had set aside the Israelites for His greater purposes, they listened to the King of the Universe instead of the King of Egypt. Shiprah and Puah were Hebrew midwives, commanded by the evil king of Egypt to kill all of the Hebrew baby boys as soon as they were delivered. And not just the famous ones!ĭo you know the story of Shiprah and Puah? How about Lois and Eunice? Do you know the woman brave enough to stand up to David and his hundreds of soldiers? Though they may not show up on flannel graphs or in VBS songs, these five women had an incredible calling and, even today, can teach us to live courageously despite unusual, difficult, or even frightening circumstances. Though they lived hundreds of years ago, these women can teach us so much about facing brokenness and hopelessness with courage today. Where do we learn bravery? Who can teach us how to be bold in the face of fear? How do we figure out how to have courage? Pointing to the Bible for answers and inspiration might seem like a cliché, but the women of the Bible can actually offer us deep meaning and real guidance. But what we’re not always told is how, exactly, to do that. Have courage! Be bold! Live brave! From Bible verses to the words on our favorite coffee mug, we’re told to be courageous often.
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