The Bible is one big story composed of many smaller stories about God’s work in the lives of real people in a real point in time. One of my favorite genres of books to read are biographies because they are real stories that happened in the lives of real people. Each biography tells the story that God wrote in the life of one of his people, and how he used them for his good purposes. This article highlights three biographies from my bookshelf. Each biography is about a Christian woman whom God uniquely called to courageously follow his plan for their life.
Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II by Darlene Deibler Rose, 1988
Darlene Deibler Rose penned this autobiography, “to write the story of my experiences during World War II for Bruce and Brian, my sons. I wished them to know, if ever difficult circumstances came into their lives, that their mother’s God is still alive and very well, and his arm has never lost its ancient power!” The book begins in August 1938 with her landing on the island of Java, New Guinea with her husband Russell Deibler on their first wedding anniversary. The story unfolds about their missionary work there, the Japanese occupation of the island during the war, and her years spent in a Japanese prison camp. The suffering she endured was tremendous, yet she concludes her book with a quote from C.H. Spurgeon, “I can thank my God for every storm that has wrecked me upon the Rock, Christ Jesus!”
The Pastor’s Wife: A Courageous Testimony of Persecution and Imprisonment in Communist Romania by Sabina Wurmbrand, 1970
My second book recommendation takes us behind the Iron Curtain into post-World War II Communist Romania to tell the story of a pastor’s wife whose husband courageously stood for truth under much political pressure and threat of persecution. Sabina and her husband, Richard, were Jewish Christians who suffered under the Nazis during the war and then continued to suffer under the Russian occupation of Romania following the war. Sabina’s life was full of adversity, yet she was used mightily by God in underground mission work for the sake of the gospel. She did not fear her enemies, but feared only God and sought to love her enemies with the truth of Jesus.
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn, 2020
Many in modern evangelicalism have heard the name, Elisabeth Elliot. This is the authorized biography of her early life documenting her childhood through her years serving on the mission field of Ecuador. Elisabeth was famously married to Jim Elliot, one of five missionaries killed by the very tribe they came to reach with the good news of Jesus Christ. Much of my knowledge of Elliot prior to reading this book had been centered around this tragic event, but this biography was an interesting read for me to learn more details of the Lord’s hand in the life of this well-known woman.
In each of these three women’s lives I was amazed to read of how strong they were when left to persevere independent of their husbands and/or familiar surroundings. God used the circumstances of their lives, full of much suffering, to keep them near to him and grow their faith.
And now for a bonus book! What unique story is God writing in your life?
You Can Trust God to Write Your Story: Embracing the Mysteries of Providence by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Robert Wolgemuth, 2019
In this Christian living book, the Wolgemuths share their story, the stories of friends they know and stories from people of the Bible to encourage us to see how God is at work in each of our lives weaving together stories that are a part of his great story of redemption. God can be trusted with the trials and triumphs of your life because he is faithful and always works for our good in his gracious providence.
No story ever told could compare to God’s great Story. None other is as compelling, transforming, or hope-giving. And your story and our story are a part of it.
You Can Trust God to Write Your Story, 22
