Happy Sabbath friends! This post will be more centered to the ladies, but men, I encourage you to read this post as well as the message can go either way! It is not closed off to a specific gender, as the Bible and the stories/messages in the Bible are for everyone.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were afraid to speak up out of fear of rejection from another? Or someone told you that you talk too much and should start talking less? Those are just two examples that I have been on the receiving end, or that I have experienced, and it doesn’t feel good to hear and go through.

As a woman, I really want to highlight the influential women in the Bible that were not afraid to speak up and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. For myself, it is very empowering to read these stories in the Bible because I have been in situations where I have been put down for the way God made me to be. I understand not everyone is perfect and we all have things we want to get better with, but you should never sacrifice the YOU that God created. You are His masterpiece. He knows every single thing about you, inside and out, and He still loves you unconditionally and He sees something very special in you.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well”.

Psalm 139:13-14 NIV

Now that we understand that we have something truly amazing within us because the most amazing God created us, let us delve into the message God wanted me to bless you all with today. I am sure you all have read this verse:

“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man, she must be quiet”

1 Timothy 2:11-12 NIV

In my opinion, and from what I have witnessed, I feel there are situations where some may read this verse and have the belief that women need to stay silent. That men should be the ones that take on leadership opportunities, while the woman needs to just take care of him. In my perspective, I feel God is not being literal in the sense that women should be silent and not speak up, and I say this because we are about to uncover some stories where women did not stay quiet. They spoke up. They held leadership positions and were influential in history. If God truly wanted the women to not take on any leadership, or stay completely silent, then why would He work through various women in the Bible?

Let us start with Hagar. After becoming pregnant with Abram’s child, she encounters the angel of the Lord who said to her “…’I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count…You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers’” (Genesis 16:10-12 NIV). Hagar could’ve listened, submitted, and stayed quiet about what the angel of the Lord brought to her, but instead she not only listened and submitted, but she spoke up!

“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me’”.

Genesis 16:13 NIV

“I have now seen the One who sees me”. How powerful and encouraging is that? Because of Hagar speaking up and not staying quiet about the blessing she encountered, it can now bring us comfort that God sees US.

Another woman I am going to address who had an influential role in the Bible would be Deborah.

“Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands’. Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go’. ‘Certainly I will go with you,’ said Deborah. ‘But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman’. So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh”.

Judges 4:4-9 NIV

I absolutely love Deborah. She was not just a prophet, but a judge. She held a leadership role, and people respected her and her decisions because they knew that God was working through her. Isn’t that amazing?! I love love love this story because she is doing the work of God in both roles, and that is such a blessing. Deborah did not stay silent. She did listen and submit to God, but she spoke up about the blessings and the words of Christ Jesus.

So back to my original point, if you have ever felt afraid to speak up, or you have ever been told to not speak up for whatever reason…please reflect on these two women in the Bible. This message can be for both women AND men! God loves us all and has a purpose for us all, and we ALL have the ability to speak up about the Good News of Jesus Christ. Don’t ever let this world try to tear you down, or tell you otherwise. Satan wants you to be silent about the Word of God because that would lead to less people knowing about the wonderful blessings that God gives. Spend time in prayer with Jesus and ask Him to bring to light what your God-given talent is. You don’t have to speak up with just your words as there are many forms. You can share the blessings of Jesus by speaking, writing, playing an instrument, singing, teaching, etc.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully”.

Romans 12:6-8 NIV

I hope you all received a blessing in the reading of His Word, and also this message. Do not allow the fear of rejection to consume you to the point where you are afraid to speak up. Do not allow the world to take away the God-given talents that allow you to speak up about the Good News of Jesus Christ. I pray that we all stay strong in the Lord so we can push away anything that is keeping us from speaking up about our Heavenly Father.

Amen.