Women, Use Your Voice!

I had something to share and it did not need to be held in, no matter what age I was.

What I want to share today can simply be titled, “Women, Use Your Voice”.

Many of you may recall the record of the amazing woman named Esther. I’ve recently been studying about her. She was an orphan who was raised by her uncle. She loved her Judean heritage and was respectfully obedient to her uncle. But, in my study, I came across a commentary about the life of Esther that struck a chord within my heart. Let me show you:

“Esther is beautiful. But more than that, she carries herself with a wisdom far beyond her years as we will see. In the background, during Esther’s beginning rise, we see Mordechai checking in on her every day. He has taken the role of adoptive father seriously and the relationship between Esther and Mordecai will play a vital role in the challenges ahead. There’s a powerful but simple truth present in this passage. One we often hear, but rarely believe… God has already given us everything we need to fulfill the purpose he calls us to. So many of the events that had to happen to get to this point were not Esther’s choice. She did not choose to lose her parents or be taken in by her uncle. She never chose to be made beautified in just the way the kind would find appealing and yet when the time came, all of these seemingly disconnected variables came together to move Esther into exactly the place she needs to be so she could accomplish exactly what God has set for her to do.”

I share this with you to remind you that when you feel God move your heart to love on someone, to speak words of life over someone, to help someone, to take a stand for truth….whatever it is. Nothing about your story is minimal or unimportant! It all brings you to today.

Have you ever thought about the word present? A present is a gift. It is something given specifically with your well-being in mind. Your gift is this present day so women, use your gift ~ today!

Look at this account from John where Jesus chose a woman to be the voice for Him (and let me clarify one thing: this was not a perfect woman who walked some holy walk. She was not a woman who had always done the right thing nor was she a woman of any kind of community stature or rank).

John 4:5-30 The Passion Translation (one of my favorite versions!)

“5 Jesus arrived at the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

6–8 Wearied by his long journey, he sat on the edge of Jacob’s well, and sent his disciples into the village to buy food, for it was already afternoon. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

9 She replied, “Why would a Jewish man ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew who I am and the gift that God wants to give you, you’d ask me for a drink, and I would give you living water.”

11 The woman replied, “But sir, you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is very deep. So where do you find this ‘living water’?

12 Do you really think that you are greater than our ancestor Jacob who dug this well and drank from it himself, along with his children and livestock?”

13 Jesus answered, “If you drink from Jacob’s well, you’ll be thirsty again,

14 but if anyone drinks the living water I give them, they will never be thirsty again. For when you drink the water I give you, it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, flooding you with endless life!”

15 The woman replied, “Let me drink that water so I’ll never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to draw water.”

16 Jesus said, “Go get your husband and bring him back here.”

17 “But I’m not married,” the woman answered. “That’s true,” Jesus said,

18 “for you’ve been married five times, and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”

19 The woman changed the subject. “You must be a prophet!

20 So tell me this: Why do our fathers worship God on this nearby mountain, but your people teach that Jerusalem is the place where we must worship. Who is right?” Jesus responded,

21 “Believe me, dear woman, the time has come when you will worship the Father neither on a mountain nor in Jerusalem, but in your heart.

22 Your people don’t really know the One they worship, but we Jews worship out of our experience, for it’s from the Jews that salvation is available.

23–24 From now on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with a right heart. For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “This is all so confusing, but I do know that the Anointed One is coming—the true Messiah. And when he comes, he will tell us everything we need to know.”

26 Jesus said to her, “You don’t have to wait any longer, the Anointed One is here speaking with you—I am the One you’re looking for.”

27 At that moment, his disciples returned and were stunned to see Jesus speaking with a Samaritan woman, yet none of them dared ask him why or what they were discussing.

28 All at once, the woman left her water jar and ran off to her village and told everyone,

29 “Come and meet a man at the well who told me everything I’ve ever done! He could be the One we’ve been waiting for.”

30 Hearing this, the people came streaming out of the village to go see Jesus.”

The Samaritan woman was the one he spoke to. He spoke life into her, spoke personally to her needs, and gave her the truth that she could move forward with. What did she choose to do with this? Herald it forth with all the boldness she had. Because of her, an entire village was brought before Jesus! The whole village was affected by her courage to use her voice.

We are His hands, feet, and voice. He entrusts us to joyfully speak for Him. As we have the courage to speak to others, and when we take care of the obvious needs we see, God will show us the hidden needs and give us the words of life that will bring hope ~ peace ~ life to others!

Women, get out your milk crate and herald forth His truths with all the love that is within you for your voice can move an entire city! ~