No matter how things look on the outside, every woman struggles. No one is left untouched by some challenge, sickness, grief, or tragedy.

We see examples of this in the women of both the Old and New Testaments. We see women who were brought to the depths of despair because of tragic circumstances. We see women who were mistreated, suffered grief, and faced temptations.

Who are these women, and what can we learn from them? I would suggest that we probably learn more from the women in despair than we do from the confident, self-assured.

In the next few weeks, I would like for us to examine the lives of some of the women of scripture to determine what struggles did to them and what struggles do to us. From where do our struggles come? What choices do we have in our struggles? Can we not only survive, but can we learn how to become a strong, confident woman of God?

Let’s begin with determining what struggles we face. Make a list of the things that cause you to struggle. Is it health, family, a relationship, or sin? Is it a death, a loss of income, a tragedy of some sort (fire, flood, theft, accident, or loneliness)?

Once you have determined what causes you to struggle, study the women of faith and see if you can find the source of their faith. Hopefully, you will find strength to face adversity and become a strong, confident woman of God.

Some of our struggles come about because of our own sins, but some come from circumstances. Some come from temptations, and some come to us because we allow things in our lives that we shouldn’t.

Many people tend to blame God for their problems. I have known people to turn away from God because they think He is responsible for what is happening to them.

The truth is, it is the devil and not God that puts temptations in our way. He uses our weakest moments to throw temptations, disappointments, problems, and worries into our lives. Then he sits back to watch our reactions. Peter tells us, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8).

There is a pair of bobcats that lived in the woods behind our house when we first built it. They would wander through our yard, occasionally first thing in the morning, on their way back from hunting. I never knew when they would be there, but I began to watch for them. They were harmless to me as long as I was in the house, and they were in the woods. Had I gone out to confront them in the woods, it would have been a different story.

In the case of the devil, scripture tells us that he is prowling, looking for someone to consume. He will use any opportunity he can find to make that happen. He will invade our lives, insert himself into any situation, and he will surely devour us. Why do we think we don’t have to watch out for him?

As we study the struggles of Bible women, look at your list. See if you can relate to their struggles. See if you can find in the lives of these women something that can help you deal with the issues you are facing.

The first of our studies will be Eve, “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Remember to make your list of struggles, and read Genesis chapter 3 as we begin a journey into the lives of women who suffered as some of us suffer.

Sandra Oliver