I typically try to keep book reviews on Tuesdays or Thursdays, but this week will be an exception. Today I have a review of Wounded Women of the Bible by Dena Dyer & Tina Samples. This book was sent to me by Kregel for review.
Let me go ahead and offer this recommendation: keep a full box of tissues nearby if you choose to read Wounded Women of the Bible. The title alone should be enough to warn you that this is a “crying” book.
Tina and Dena are ministers’ wives who have both suffered many wounds. They have also ministered to women with deep wounds. Throughout Wounded Women of the Bible, these stories are shared. But each one is shared in the context of a woman of Scripture. Some are the stories you would expect. Others, like Eli’s unnamed daughter-in-law, are a little surprising.
The wounds in Wounded Women of the Bible cover nearly every wound a woman could imagine. Abuse from multiple sources. Loss of loved ones, relationships, and dreams. The pain of letting go. Expectations being dashed. Feeling we are not good enough. Barrenness. Lack of provision. Illness. These and more contribute to deep wounds that can lead us to despair.
The ultimate message of Wounded Women of the Bible is that we can either give in to despair and bitterness, or we can trust that God provides hope even through the wounds. The wounds will come. We are not promised a life without them. On the contrary, if we use Scripture as our guide, we will see that wounds are almost guaranteed. But, He will never abandon us through them.
Wounded Women of the Bible is not an easy book to read. Readers will see characters from the Bible in a new light as their wounds are discussed. At least one of the more contemporary stories will resonate personally with nearly every reader. But, as these stories are pulled together into a single theme, the truth remains clear: God heals wounds. Even when He does not remove painful circumstances, He still heals wounds.
We are all wounded in some way. I recommend Wounded Women of the Bible to those who need the reminder that God is always our Healer.
This book was sent to me by Kregel in exchange for my honest review.
Not Quite Ordinary 