As a 14 yr old pastor’s kid, during a new church plant, I set up many a folding chair and table. I spent two years loading and unloading a trailer, and the next two setting up and taking down church for various events in our very own building. In those moments I deeply learned what it was to serve and have not a soul know, or notice, that you did a thing. Little did I know that this was preparing my young heart for a lifelong relationship with ministry: specifically, the amount of things that we do that go unnoticed, but are still very important to God.
In “The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible,” Mary DeMuth highlights ten very important women mentioned in scripture whose actions today would likely go unnoticed. But as she unearths these women and the hardships they faced, she shows us their deep trust in God, and their deep contributions to the Kingdom. This book reminded me that in all the little things, God can be amplified by our complete surrender to Him.
This book helped me to see and realize that when we toil for the Lord, when we do the often overlooked things, the Lord sees us. And really, that’s all that matters. And when He sees us, He strengthens us and gives us the ability to do great works.
And when we fight to be seen by the world, or fight against the opinions of others, we can lose our focus on the one thing that truly matters. When we lose sight of our end goal—being in heaven with Jesus— we lose sight of ourselves and our purpose.
If we want to be active members of the Kingdom of God, members who make a difference for others, then we have to stop looking to others to understand us. This book shows us that even the most misunderstood women in the Bible did the work of the Kingdom, and the Lord rewarded them. We need nothing more than the eyes of the Lord on us in our work, and we need nothing more than His love to get us through.
And lastly, this book reminded me that all the ways we feel misunderstood, or mis-categorized, or less than, are the very things that God will use to save the world. The places where we feel inadequate are where we have no choice but to let God lead. And those are the places we should crave, the places we should invite God into, and let Him do His thing.
So if you need a reminder that in your unseen actions He sees you, in your uncertainty of identity He knows you, and in your brokenness He works, then this is the book for you! Go buy it and be blown away by stories you’ve heard before but never looked into. Go see how women trusting Jesus become understood, seen, known, and utilized for greatness by God.
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