5 Women from History You Should Know About

   I’ve loved history since I was very young. I think my love of history started with the stories—historical fiction, Bible stories, biographies, etc.—my mama read aloud to me when I was little.

   Today, I want to share with you a few women from history I believe you should know about. Now I could make a REALLY long list of women from history who inspire me, but I’ve condensed it to just five of my favorites. Here they are:

• The Hebrew Midwives. We learn about these brave ladies, named Shiphrah and Puah, in the first chapter of the book of Exodus. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had given orders that every male Hebrew child be killed and told the midwives that when they delivered babies, if the child was a boy, to kill him. “But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive,” (Exodus 1:17). I love that these women feared God, not man, and stood for life.
• Perpetua. Back in the late second century and early third century A. D., there lived a young woman named Perpetua. Like many other Christians in the days of the Roman Empire, Perpetua faced death in the arena. She had many opportunities to deny Christ and live, but she knew she could not do that. She had a family whom she loved dearly—a little son, her parents, and her brother—but she loved Jesus even more than she loved all of them. Perpetua entered the arena with her face radiant, singing a psalm of praise. When the wild animals did not kill her, she was finished by a gladiator’s sword.
• Margaret Wilson. This girl is not quite as well known, but she’s definitely one of my favorites. She was killed at just 18 or 19 years old. Why? Because she believed that Jesus Christ was the Head of the Church, or Kirk, as the Scots called it. She was a Scottish Covenanter. The 1680’s are known as “the killing times” in Scotland, because during this time, many Scottish Covenanters were killed by order of the king of England who believed that he was the Head of the Church. Margaret Wilson was tied to a stake where the tide was coming and drowned. This courageous young woman sang Psalm 25 and recited Romans 8 before she went to be with the Lord.
• Corrie ten Boom. Sometime, I’ll have to do a blog post just about all the lessons we can learn from the life of Corrie ten Boom. Since she lived more recently and wrote several books, we know more about her than we do about these other ladies I’ve mentioned. Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian lady, a single woman in her fifties living with her elderly father and sister when World War 2 broke out. Corrie and her family risked their lives to help rescue Jews and others from the Nazis, and eventually they were arrested. Corrie’s father died soon after their arrest. She and her sister Betsie were taken to a concentration camp where they shared Christ with the other prisoners there. Betsie died in that camp. Eventually, Corrie was set free, and she later travelled the world sharing God’s message of love, hope, and forgiveness.

   I hope you enjoyed reading about each of these wonderful ladies! And I hope you were inspired! Because, you see, I believe God can use each one of us just as mightily as He used them, if we will but surrender to Him. Each of our lives will look different. God writes a different story in each of our lives, but “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8). The same God who worked in the lives of these women from history is the same God who works in our lives.
    And now, what about you—who are some people from history who inspire you the most?
   Let me know in the comments below!
   As always, remember that, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it,” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
   All for Him,
Savannah Jane

P. S. This post was previously published on my old blog, Written On Your Heart. Art by yours truly.