Know Your Bible: Devotional For Women
Today I am going to share this Bible Study with you. I pray that you will be encouraged by it. God bless you.
Day One:
WHAT IS GENESIS ALL ABOUT?
The Bible’s first book does not fully explain God; it simply asserts His existence (Gen. 1:1): “In the beginning, God . . .” Chapters 1 and 2 describe how God created the universe and everything in it just by speaking: “God said . . .and it was so” (1:6–7, 9, 11, 14–15). Humans, however, received special handling, as “God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (2:7), and woman was crafted from a rib of man. Those first two people, Adam and Eve, lived perfectly until they ruined paradise by disobeying God at the urging of a “subtle” (crafty, 3:1) serpent.
Sin threw humans into a moral freefall as the world’s first child— Cain—murdered his brother Abel. People became so bad that God decided to flood the entire planet, saving only the righteous Noah, his family, and an ark (a large boat) full of animals. After the earth had been repopulated, God chose Abram as the patriarch of a specially blessed people, later called “Israel” after an alternative name for Abram’s grandson Jacob. Genesis ends with Jacob’s son Joseph, by a miraculous chain of events, ruling in Egypt . . setting up the events of the following book of Exodus.
Genesis answers the greatest question we all have: “Where did I come from?” Knowing the answer—God—can give us meaning in a world that’s otherwise hard to figure out
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for giving me Your Word. Knowing that I come from You and that I am a part of Your family gives my life meaning.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1 NKJV
WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE? Day Two
The levels of injustice that Joseph endured would break most people. First, his brothers tossed him into a dry well and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Then, while serving as Potiphar’s servant, he was imprisoned under the false accusation of attempting to rape Potiphar’s wife. Though he was treated wrongly, Joseph remained faithful to God. Eventually, these events led to an opportunity to save his own family from starvation—and to keep Jesus’ family tree growing.
Joseph’s story illustrates a crucial truth for Christians today: God sometimes allows His people to suffer trials and unfair treatment as part of His plan to achieve great things in their lives. Jesus endured that same kind of treatment when He was arrested, unjustly tried, beaten nearly to death, and then crucified. He did nothing to deserve such horrible abuse, but He did it to save us all from eternal death.
Prayer: Jesus, I cannot thank You enough for taking the punishment for my sin when You died on the cross. You did it solely out of love. Show me how to live a life that honors Your sacrifice!
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
Genesis 50:20-21 NKJV
Day Three
WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN I NEED HELP?
Imagine how Moses must have felt as he prepared to confront Pharoah, the king of Egypt and perhaps the most powerful man in the world. If we were in Moses’ place, most of us would find our hearts pounding and our hands shaking. Following such a call would require every ounce of courage we could muster—and that probably still wouldn’t be enough. Moses felt inadequate for the job (to put it mildly), and he confessed his insecurities to God. So, the Lord gave him his brother Aaron as his spokesman (or “prophet”). Over time, Moses assembled a whole group of men who shared a passion for his calling.
Do you feel like you need encouragement or assistance from a fellow Christian who shares your passion for a task God has called you to do? Maybe you need a whole team of encouragers and helpers to help you overcome your feelings of inadequacy. Whatever you need, tell God about it and ask Him to send the right people to help you make your calling a reality. He will be happy to answer such a prayer.
Prayer: Lord, send me the encouragers and helpers I need to carry out Your plan. I know I can’t do everything on my own, and I need the other hands and feet of Your body to strengthen my contribution.
“So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land.”
Exodus 7:1-2 NKJV
Day Four
WHY DID GOD HAVE SO MANY RULES?
If you’re like most Bible-reading women, you probably look at some of the rules God instituted in the law of Moses and wonder, Why? Sometimes, God gave specific reasons for His laws. For example, near the end of Leviticus 15, God told the people that these ceremonial laws were to “separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.”
If you ever find yourself wondering why God was so concerned with the Israelites’ hygiene, consider this: God knows everything, and you don’t. He may have reasons for His commandments you’re never going to understand . . .at least not on this side of heaven. The entire Bible is permeated with encouragement for God’s people to obey Him, even when we don’t understand why. God always knows what is best for us and for His kingdom. When we disobey, we set ourselves up for trouble because we don’t understand God’s reasons. But when we trust Him enough to obey His commands, even when they defy our understanding, we put ourselves in a position to receive His best.
Prayer: Lord, I may not always understand why You direct me down a certain path, but I trust that it is for my good! You discipline me to keep me safe and in right relationship with You. I’ll trust Your correction!
“‘Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them.”
Leviticus 1the right relationship with You. I’ll trust Your correction! Leviticus 15:31
Day Five
WHAT IS JUDGES ALL ABOUT?
After Joshua’s death, the Israelites lost momentum in driving pagan people out of the promised land. “The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem” (Judges 1:21) is a statement characteristic of many tribes, which allowed idol worshippers to stay in their midst—with tragic results. “Ye have not obeyed my voice,” God said to His people. “They shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you” (2:2–3). That’s exactly what happened, as the Israelites began a cycle of worshipping idols, suffering punishment by attackers, crying to God for help, and receiving God’s aid in the form of a human judge (or “deliverer”) who restored order.
Lesser-known judges include Othniel, Ehud, Tola, Jair, and Jephthah, who had only one child, a daughter, whom he foolishly vowed to sacrifice to God in exchange for a military victory (Judges 11:30–40). More familiar figures in the book are Deborah, the only female judge, who led a military victory against the Canaanites; Gideon, who tested God’s will with a fleece and defeated the armies of Midian; and the amazingly strong Samson, who defeated the Philistines. Samson’s great weakness—his love for unsavory women such as Delilah—led to his downfall and death in a Philistine temple.
The ancient Israelites got into trouble when they “did that which was right in [their] own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25) rather than what God wanted them to do. Let’s not make that mistake ourselves!
Prayer: Lord, I want to stay far away from the temptation to do what is right in my own eyes. I want my life to please You, even in the moments when no one else Trust your correction! Leviticus 15:31
“And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ””
Judges 2:2-3 NKJV
Day Six
HOW COULD GOD USE SAMSON?
Today’s scripture reading (Judges 13–16) covers the story of Samson, the twelfth and final judge from the book of Judges. Samson was a Nazirite, meaning he was set apart for God’s service and expected to follow special rules. For example, he was not allowed to cut his hair or drink fermented drinks such as wine.
When Samson was faithful to God, he had amazing courage and strength, enabling him to do mighty deeds for the Lord and His people. But Samson was far from perfect. He rarely considered the consequences of his actions, and he often pursued his unrighteous desire for women—even enemy Philistine women.
Samson seems like the last person God would use to accomplish great things for Himself. This judge was selfish, prideful, and always trying to get his own way, but God still chose him to lead Israel. And God “was with the judge” (Judges 2:18 NIV), even when those judges messed up— which Samson certainly did. In the end, who Samson was didn’t matter as much as who God is.
Prayer: Lord, I’m thankful that who You are matters so much more than who I am. May I show the character Samson did when he was dedicated to You—courage, strength, and boldness. Keep me from the temptation to serve my own desires.
“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house.”
Judges 14:19 NKJV
Day Seven
HOW CAN I KNOW GOD IS WITH ME?
David’s dramatic story tells how a man rose from the humblest of beginnings to great power and prestige. But his power didn’t grow due to his wisdom and strength or because he was perfect. Far from it. David’s achievements occurred because God, who was always with him, had called him to greatness.
God may not have planned to make you powerful, famous, or rich—in fact, He probably hasn’t. But He loves you, and He has plans for you to live a life of greatness for Him, whatever that may entail.
How can you know that God is with you? What can you do to make sure He stays with you every day? First, you can read His Word daily, lingering over the passages about His love, goodness, and constant presence. Then you go to Him in prayer, thanking Him for always being with you and asking Him to remind you of His wonderful presence in every situation. And then, very importantly, you can step out in faith, doing whatever He calls you to do.
Prayer: Lord, I know that You are with me. That is a promise that You make over and over in Your Word. Remind me of Your presence in all that I do and lead me to step out in faith for Your glory!
Was this plan helpful? We adapted it from the book Know Your Bible Devotions for Women.
“Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.”
II Samuel 5:9-10 NKJV
I hope you will share this Bible Study with your friends and family. It has inspired me to look deeper into God’s Word to learn more about Jesus, all of the things that took place back then, and how to apply the Word of God in my life. God bless you.
You can leave your comments and thoughts in the comment section below the message. Have a wonderful day.
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