Customer Reviews

Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God

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My mother is one of several people I know who eschews all of the Christian Living type of books that dominate the Christian publishing industry. Apart from her Bible (the most beat-up, ink-covered, personalized Bible you'll ever see) and a few commentaries, she reads only biographies. She feels that by reading about the lives of great Christians of the past, she will learn far more than what most of the Christian Living books can teach her. She may just be right.

Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God is Noel Piper's second solo effort that is targetted at an adult audience (she has previously authored Treasuring God in Our Traditions and has written the children's book Most Of All, Jesus Loves You.). The book contains five short biographies of five faithful women: Sarah Edwards, Lilias Trotter, Gladys Aylward, Esther Ahn Kim and Helen Roseveare.

I particularly enjoy short biographies of this type as they provide only a glimpse of a person. If one of the people particularly intrigues me, I can seek out a more exhaustive biography. This book serves as an introduction to five particularly fascinating servants of the Lord - women who have in some way had a significant impact on the author. While the women are bound by a common thread, their zeal in serving the Lord, they represent several countries and hundreds of years of Christian history. Sarah Edwards lived in the New World during the mid-1700's and was best-known for selflessly supporting and extending the ministry of her husband, Jonathan Edwards; Lilias Trotter grew up in Victorian England but served God as a missionary in North Africa; Gladys Alward left her native England in 1932 so she could serve the Lord in China; Esther Ahn Kim stood strong among the persecuted ranks of believers during the Japanese occupation of Korea; Helen Roseveare became a doctor to the native population of the Congo, remaining there through years of war and bloodshed. Each of these women suffered in their own way, but did so joyfully, knowing that they suffered for the Lord.

A great deal of the value of this book lies in the author's closing comments for each of the sections. Piper adds a personal touch to each biography, describing what it is about the person that has so touched her. She ends each of the chapters with a dedication to a person whose life and faith exhibits the same qualities as the woman just described. For example, at the end of the first chapter she writes, "Just as Sarah Edwards had little idea of the ongoing generations she would influence through her interaction with Samuel Hopkins, there are two women who probably have little notion of their impact on me and therefore also on my husband, children, friends, and church. Long before my husband was called to a pulpit ministry, I admired our pastors' wives, one in California, one in Minnesota. God used them to help prepare me for my future role that none of us yet expected. And so this story of Sarah Edwards is dedicated to Deloris Hoeldtke and Ann Ortlund."

I was transfixed as I read of these faithful women, and in some ways was also transformed. As I came to understand the faith of these Christians who gave so much, I came to see where I have been holding back. I came to understand that the religious freedom we enjoy as North Americans sometimes allows us to have a lazy faith. As I came to understand these women, I came to understand God just a little bit better. And if that is the ultimate purpose of any Christian biography, which I believe it ought to be, Noel Piper has done well with Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God. I am glad to recommend this book to you.

While this book has equal appeal for men or women, I would suggest it may make an excellent text for a five- or six-part study for women's groups. My wife is reading it right now with a view to using it for just that purpose.

I must admit that I've been hesitant to read this book. Not because I have anything against biography - I'm beginning to enjoy them more and more, especially at the urging of several people whose opinions I really trust. Not because I have anything against missionaries or Godly women. I am the first and am trusting God to produce in me the second. Not because I have anything against the Pipers. Exactly. My hesitation was something completely unrelated to the subject matter or specifically to the author herself: I was afraid that this was a marketing ploy. I've seen it before - an author writes a book that sells well, so the publisher gets the author's spouse to write a corresponding or even totally new book for the opposite sex. You know, "John Piper is so popular that we should get his wife to write a book because women will just eat. it. up." Well, let me tell you, I saw straight through it. No, sir, I would not be manipulated.

My hesitation led me to miss out for too long on a great book which is valuable at least three reasons:

Mrs. Piper chose wonderful women to profile. Only Sarah Edwards is really "intimidating," and I suspect that's just because her husband was Jonathan Edwards. The others are real enough that it's easy to imagine yourself in their shoes, responding (or rather, reacting) to a difficult situation the same way they did. It's that very approachability that helps you find your own hope in their hope, repentance in their repentance, joy in their joy. For instance, in the profile of Helen Roseveare, Mrs. Piper notes that at least twice she is rebuked for a wrong attitude toward circumstances or the people to whom she was called. I've seen that in myself, so Mrs. Piper's recounting of Helen's humility in accepting the rebuke and repenting was a great encouragement and example to me. Though it's most likely that no one will ever examine our lives to write biographies about us, FAITHFUL WOMEN AND THEIR EXTRAORDINARY GOD is a very effective tool to help us live our lives for the glory of God.

This is also a great place to start because the profiles are just that: profiles. They're not in-depth (though they're detailed). They don't take forever to read, which makes this a nice book to read in a week. You could maybe read one chapter each night before bed. It goes quickly so you feel like you've accomplished something, but you've spent your time profitably and learned something valuable along the way. And who knows - you may be left wanting more! Mrs. Piper's footnotes are complete and a great resource for reading more about any or all of these faithful women of God.

The last major reason I love FAITHFUL WOMEN AND THEIR EXTRAORDINARY GOD is because Mrs. Piper doesn't satisfy herself with just telling us about someone else's life:

"As with any biography, we'd be wasting our time if we were satisfied just to nose around in their lives for interesting tidbits. So I have prayed that this story would turn our eyes and affections toward biblical truth, that we would be edified and encouraged."(pp. 36-37)

Each profile concludes with Mrs. Piper's own thoughts about the lessons she learned from reading about these saints. I love that she directs our thoughts to those things which are most important - God and His Word.

FAITHFUL WOMEN AND THEIR EXTRAORDINARY GOD is a wonderful book to start with for beginning biography readers, a quick way to get a handle on the major details of some of history's shining examples of God's kind of women, and is a lesson in itself on living life God's way, and the eternal rewards of seeking first His kingdom.

Noel Piper has done a beautiful job in compiling powerful, stunning, and humbling testimonies of a minister's wife, an artist, a parlor-maid, a music teacher and a medical doctor, spanning from colonial New England to World War II Korea, of whom, in my view, fall in the category of what the epistle to the Hebrews' Hall of Faith describes as "the world was not worthy," as they literally "wandered in deserts, mountains, caves and holes in the ground; destitute, persecuted and mistreated." I consider reading them a joyful and humbling privilege, whose unforgettably happy effects linger in my heart; to learn the accounts of holy courage of Esther Kim in the midst of a modern-day Nebuchadnezar-like regime, of the divine provision of hot water bottle for a dying baby and a dolly for her older sister under the ministry of Dr. Roseveare, of Gladys Aylwald leading 100 Chinese children, "each carrying his or her own blanket and bowl and chopsticks" crossing the Yellow River of China, of a beautiful friendship and perseverance in a true genuine Christian service; particularly to underprivileged women in Algeria, of Lilias Trotter and Blance Haworth; and last but not least, of Sarah Edwards, a living example of a Titus 2 woman. Reading them does three things to me. First, the life and ministry of these ladies point to the Lord Jesus Christ; the only cause worth living and dying for in this world. Secondly, it exposes my lukewarmness, worldliness, slothfulness, cowardice, hypocrisy and extreme lack of zeal for the gospel. And thirdly, it causes me to stop and think through the questions Noel poses at the end of Lilias Trotter's chapter, mainly, "What are true hindrances to following a call to some sort of ministry?" and "What are the required qualifications for following God's call?" I thought the following quote by Ahn Ei Sook, a.k.a., Esther Kim might express a common spirit among these women, and serves as some sort of rebuke to me personally, "I always felt strengthened when I talked with mother about God and his love. I began to think that life might be worth living in this time of persecution. It might even be a truer picture of the believer to agonize, to suffer to be hated, and tortured, and even to be killed in obeying God's words rather than to live an ordinary, uneventful life." Every Christian who longs for fuel of grace to kindle their flame of a holy passion to sell all for Christ needs to get a copy of this text.

How encouraging to read about "real" women who have gone before us - their "real" lives - hard at most times - yet, they were faithful where they were to walk with God and obey Him. I need this for my life today. As a mother, housewife - Sarah Edwards is incredible; Helen Roseveare, a "career" woman in a sense, yet totally aware of God in her life and what that relationship can bring. Walk through hard days with her and you will "see" the "realness" of a relationship with God.

Inspiring me & reminding me of God's presence in lives that the world would deem as "weak" to participate in what He is already doing because He can.
This book will definitely encourage your walk of faith and redirect your focus for eternity.

Great stories from women from the 1700's to present times. Allows any modern women to see how overcoming fear, the mudane, etc. lessons apply in any time. We are reading it together in our small group and are enjoying memorizing the scripture

I really thought this book was awsome..I learned so much from each of the individual stories...if you are looking for a great easy read, this is the book for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. How it detailed the faith and strength in these godly women in different time periods. A must read for all Christians, but especially missionaries and those in the ministry.

I originally received this book as a gift for my birthday - great book! The book briefly covers the biography of 5 amazing women of God. What I love about this book is that their stories and struggles are no different from that of today's women who desires to follow and to be faithful to Jesus. I definitely resonated with a few stories of these women - and all of them lived in different time periods. This goes to show that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The God who provided and cared for these women then is the same God who provides and cares for His people today. A definite must read!!

This book is exactly what the title says; the author takes the lifes of 5 ordinary women and shows how their extraordinary God used them in extraordinary ways! Each chapter is a biography of these ladies lives and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!