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My 7-year old daughter Zoe loves to read and I’m amazed at her ability. Since she’s reading on her own now, I’ve wanted to do a Bible study with her, as it would accomplish three goals in one: we would spend time together; it would open up a strong dialogue; and it would give her a strong foundation for her faith.
While I’m still looking for a great mother-daughter Bible study, we recently started reading the 31 Day Devotional Real Girls of the Bible in the FaithGirlz series and she’s asking great questions. Plus we are learning so much about the women in the Bible together – it feels like a Bible study! Most of the stories are familiar to me already, but it’s amazing how much you can learn through the eyes of your children.
In Real Girls of the Bible the letters of REAL stand for: Relational, Exalting, Authentic and Loving.
A real girl is … R E A L!
Relational
To all who received [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12Exalting
You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. – Psalm 118:28Authentic
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. – 1 Samuel 16:7Loving
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. – Deuteronomy 6:5Love each other as I have loved you. – John 15:12
“A real girl of the Bible enjoys a personal and purposeful relationship with God-one that influences her relationships with others. A real girl is developing a thankful heart, recognizing God’s importance in her life, and exalting his name. A real girl is… well, real, and confident in who she is because of Christ. A real girl desires to love her Lord with all her heart and with everything she has and is. And that love guides her love for all others.” (pages 12-13, Real Girls of the Bible)
Don’t you just love that Biblical message and truth for young girls?
Throughout the devotions we learn about these virtues in each story from the women in the Bible.
Zoe read the story about Eve and I asked her what she learned from it. She said that she realized that God is in charge of everything and that Satan wants to be in charge of everything. And that God loves you no matter what mistake you make. I think she nailed it!
One of my favorite Old Testament stories is about Sarah, the wife of Abraham and mother to Isaac in the Bible, when she finds out that she’s going to have a baby. The Bible says she laughs upon hearing the news, “God hath made me to laugh, [so that] all that hear will laugh with me,” and that the new Isaac, when translated from the Hebrew, means “he laughs.” This story gives me joy anytime I read it!
My daughter and I also enjoyed reading about the braveness of the women who were responsible for Moses. We all know about Moses’s great accomplishments for the Lord, but what about his sister, mother and Pharaoh’s daughter? Each one of those women defied Pharaoh’s decree in order to save Moses. Miriam put her brother in a basket in the river. Then Pharaoh’s daughter was pretty sure it was one of the Hebrew children but wanted to keep and raise the baby as her own anyway. Miriam showed great bravery when she came out after the princess discovered the child and asked if the princess would like one of the Hebrew women to be the nurse, so Moses could be reunited with his mother for a time and his life was spared. Miriam’s act was heroic and she made a quick and smart decision! The story showed my daughter that even young girls can be strong and make really good decisions following the Lord.
We’re still reading through the devotions and we’re just now getting to the section about the women in the New Testament. I feel like the only women that I really know from the New Testament is Mary, mother of Jesus, Martha, and Mary Magdalene. Yet Jesus speaks of many women in his teachings and he had many encounters with women, from the Samaritan woman to Jairus’s daughter. I look forward to reading with my daughter more about women like Rhoda, Eunice, and Lydia!
Your Turn
Who are your favorite women in the Bible? Leave your comments on our blog – we’d love to hear from you!