Fear is a normal human emotion designed by God to alert us to danger so that we will take action against it. In that way, fear is a gift. But, we know fear has a dark side as well. I heard someone say that women are a fear-driven, performance-oriented species. Just reading the daily Facebook feed can panic us. Is it realistic to think we can live without fear? No! Fear will happen. We can let fear take root in us so that we give way to panic and hysteria. When we are afraid, God wants us to trust Him and not give way to fear. Learning to do that is our walk from fear to faith.

Everyday Women, Ever-Faithful God leads you through the lives of 17 Old Testament women on their walk from fear to faith. You will learn 4 truths you can embrace: God loves you, God knows what is going on in your life, God can do something about it, and you can trust His goodness in what He chooses to do. You will also learn a process using those 4 truths to apply faith to any fear in your life. Download: "Applying Faith to Fear Bookmark."

Trust is usually defined as a firm belief in the character, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. In our walk from fear to faith, that trust is in God. As we study the lives of Sarah, Miriam, Rahab, and others, we’ll see an ever-faithful personal God in action. These Old Testament women knew God by the personal name Yahweh. Yahweh means, “I am.” This name expressed His character as constant, dependable and faithful. He’s always present with us.

You will see in Everyday Women, Ever-Faithful God that Bible women were everyday women like we are today. They cooked meals, did laundry, and raised children. They had responsibilities inside and outside of their homes, including home businesses. They experienced hormone fluctuations and menopause. They laughed with their friends, differed with their mates, and cried when a loved one died. They wrote songs and played musical instruments. Their hair needed to be combed and fixed, and it turned grey as they aged. They faced fear from invading enemies, sick family members, and empty pantries. They faced creditors and surprise houseguests. They even had “bad” days when things didn’t go right, sometimes due to their own choices. Their stories—snippets of their biographies—are preserved for us to get to know them, and to know their God who is also our God—an ever-faithful God whose character never changes. We get to see how much our God loves us as women today.

To study Old Testament women, we recommend “Everyday Women, Ever-Faithful God” (11 lessons) and the shorter version, “The Walk from Fear to Faith” (6 lessons). To study New Testament women, we recommend “Live Out His Love” (11 lessons) and the shorter version “Satisfied by His Love” (6 lessons).

The best way to study the Bible uses the inductive process. First, carefully observe the text. What does it actually say? Then, interpret the text. What was the author’s intended meaning for the audience that would read or hear it, including us today? And finally, apply what you learn. How do you live this out in your life? This is the best way to study the Bible. Look at what is there. Learn what it means and teaches you. Then, live it out in your life. All “Joyful Walk Bible Studies” use the inductive process.