HER-STORY:
366 devotions from 21 centuries of the
Christian Church
By Diana Lynn Severance
Christian Focus. 409 pages. £17.99
ISBN 978 1 781 917 503
This is a daily devotional of astonishing scope. What you have is 366 bite-size biographical sketches of 366 Christian women. Collectively this book gives an overview of church history from NT times to the present day, through the eyes and stories of female believers.
It is a staggering accomplishment and would make the kind of gift one would return to again and again for reference and pleasure. If you like dipping into books, this one is well worth a dip.
Kingdom work
The reader will discover stories of queens and of peasants; there are martyrs and missionaries and mothers. There are famous names; there are forgotten names and some who lived beautiful but largely hidden lives, but whose impact on others was far-reaching. Their varied achievements and exploits are sometimes obscure and domestic, sometimes adventurous and dangerous. There are those who flew planes, those who were involved in affairs of state and those who stayed home and raised children. What these women have in common is that they lived for and honoured Christ in their generation. Frequently, but not inevitably, there are stories of suffering. Particularly moving are the accounts of those who died for their faith. But perhaps the point of the book is that each made truly significant contributions to kingdom work in death and in life, whether through prayer, evangelism, hymn-writing, homemaking, or washing the feet of the saints. Many quotes from letters or other writings are included so these dead women still speak of love for Jesus.
Each day’s little nugget of biography ends with a relevant Scripture text, so all in all, this is a delightful bedside or coffee table book, which is both inspiring and informative. It demonstrates the multitude of ways in which Christian women have glorified and loved God and encourages the present generation to do the same.
