Women of Courage: A Forty-Day Devotional {A Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own. 

Whether you’re trying something new, enduring the grind of the everyday, or facing something you never imagined would come your way, life can be overwhelming and sometimes even scary. When that happens, how do you live brave? How do you learn to become a woman of courage? Who do you turn to as examples or mentors?

This warm, honest, and encouraging devotional features women from the Bible who lived courageously despite unusual, difficult, or even frightening circumstances. From women who were called to step into leadership roles, to women who had to rely on God’s daily provision for their needs, these heroes of the Bible show you exactly how to lean into the strength of the Lord when your own isn’t enough.

Featuring 40 brave women—some well-known (like Ruth, Elizabeth, Mary, and Martha) and some lesser-known (such as Shiprah, Puah, Lois, and Eunice)—this devotional will walk with you through the hardest days and leave you with the courage you need to lead, to love, to trust, and to turn to God in every situation.

Each reading begins with a passage of Scripture, then dives into a woman’s story with detail and depth that illustrates exactly how much she was loved and cared for by God. It ends with an encouragement to apply the day’s lesson in your own life and a personal prayer that gets right to the heart of the matter and the heart of God. Prepare to be inspired and moved closer to the God who gives you strength and courage by spending time with some incredible women in His Word.

Mary Carver is a writer, speaker, and recovering perfectionist. She lives for good books, spicy queso, and television marathons, but she lives because of God’s grace. Mary writes with humor and honesty about giving up on perfect and finding truth in unexpected places on her blog, MaryCarver.com. She is the co-author of Choose Joy: Finding Hope & Purpose When Life Hurts, as well as a regular contributor to (in)courage and MomAdvice.com. Mary and her husband live in Kansas City with their two daughters.

(in)courage welcomes you to a place where authentic, brave women connect deeply with God and others. Founded in 2009 by DaySpring, the Christian products subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc., (in)courage is a vibrant community that reaches thousands of women every day. Through the power of shared stories and meaningful resources, (in)courage champions women and celebrates the strength Jesus gives to live out our calling as God’s daughters. In the middle of your unfine moments and ordinary days, you are invited to become a woman of courage.

Any time I see a new devotional from (in)courage, I know pretty much immediately that I want to experience it. I have been reading (in)courage for a good 10+ years now, and I always enjoy their encouraging words-- always seeming to be just what I need. Needless to say my expectations for this one were pretty high... and Women of Courage did NOT disappoint!

In Women of Courage, we take a look at the stories of 40 women of the Bible. Some of these are the popular women whose stories we have heard time and time again, whereas others might be those whose stories we have read but perhaps overlooked, not giving them much further thought. On each day we read the story of each of these women with a passage from the Bible. This is followed by a devotion that will help us understand what we can learn from these women and how their stories apply to our own lives. Finally each day ends in a prayer. While I have not read each devotion, I have really enjoyed those I have read so far. All of them are great, but for me I'm finding that I really enjoy learning more about those women so easily overlooked. Their story is every bit as important- so it's great to really dive in deeper.

Throughout the pages there are also beautiful black and white photos that really just make it a joy to look through as well. I certainly would have enjoyed the devotion based on the words alone, but that definitely gave it a little something extra to enjoy as well.

Overall, this is a fantastic devotional, and one I really look forward to working through! If you love (in)courage, you will certainly want to check this one out, but even those who are not yet familiar will appreciate this great look at the various women throughout the Bible.