She Walked Before Us: Grace, Courage, and Strength from 12 Women of the Old Testament

I'm technically cheating since I haven't finished She Walked Before Us yet, but I've definitely seen enough to call this one. Jill Eileen Smith triumphs again, expertly mixing fiction, Biblical truth, and here, a devotional-type feel. I've been limiting myself to one chapter per day in order to savor, but that went out the window in the grocery cafe. It's just that good.Most of the women Jill profiles, I've "met" already in her full-length novels. I was prepared to find that disappointing, but Jill gave me enough new insights that the opposite happened. Especially for women like Naomi and Penninah, who get secondary or no POVs in her books, her words kept me intrigued. I enjoyed being reminded of familiar lessons and learning new ones.Speaking of learning lessons, I found myself more drawn to the Biblical discussions and "pondering" sections than the fiction (which is saying a lot because I love fiction). Jill's explorations invited me to draw closer to God, examine my own heart, pray for forgiveness where I fell short, and pray for more of the traits I wanted to emulate. Hannah, Penninah, and Naomi were particularly special to me in this regard because my situation has encompassed a lot of waiting and moments of extreme hurt or bitter spirit.I also enjoyed how, while staying true to Scripture, Jill plumbed the depths of some questions and possibilities the Bible doesn't speak about. The chapters on Michal and Abigail are good examples, but she even accomplishes this in chapters like Ruth, who we might think we know all about because there's a whole book dedicated to her. I wish Jill and other authors like her had time to probe every Biblical character this way.My overall verdict? Once again, Jill nails it--and as for readers, you need to snap up She Walked Before Us. I can't wait to finish it and may not even force myself to slow down.

Interesting take on selected women in the bible. The author writes a possible scenario for each woman and weaves a story dealing with pain, betrayal and forgiveness. I admit that I never considered the family members in the bibles feelings when their relative or spouse sinned before God. I'm sure that after reading this book, my prayer and thought life will be richer. Already purchased another copy as a gift and it's being passed around already in Kentucky. This one will be headed to Florida.

The book is an excellent presentation of women of the Bible. The set up makes discussions possible for a group study of "women of the Bible". The content seems to be well researched and developed and the selection of women is good.

I love the author’s style of writing. I have lost myself in her writings for many hours. Great books. All of them.

She Walked Before Us provides a refreshing look at the life lessons we face, through the obstacles our Biblical counterparts faced. The narrative gives a background peek into how women might have responded in that day, knowing the human race has faced daunting odds across the boundaries of time. Do we struggle with hate and happiness, bitterness and in finding better attitudes? Women in the Bible did, too, and we can learn from them in this journey of life.Jill Eileen Smith is the author of She Walked Before Us, as well as series on Daughters of the Promised Land, Loves of King Solomon, The Wives of King David, and The Wives of the Patriarchs.In She Walked Before Us, we face the mirror of the human condition, and ask questions about motive, trust and control. The characters remind us control is an illusion, but God loves us through everything. We explore the difficulty of forgiving hurts and wounds, knowing pain rarely leaves us the same. Know this: courage to forgive is a grace God gives. You don’t have to muster up that ability by yourself!I like the format of fictional narrative woven into nonfiction format. Jill Eileen Smith gives us plenty to process, as we study the lives of women from the Old Testament. If you’re caught between the now and the not yet, she would tell you, it will all be worth the wait.Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Blog About Network book review program in exchange for a fair and honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

It takes a great writer like Jill Eileen Smith to weave the threads of so many characters into an enjoyable story that is categorized as a non-fiction That is exactly what she did in "She Walked Before Us: Grace, Courage, and Strength from 12 Women of the Old Testament". She has written many books about the women in the Bible (The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King and Star of Persia: Esther's Story) all Fiction, yet based on truth. Her writings gave us insight into the Biblical women in the Bible. Now, she expands on the dramatization and the philosophic ideas underlying the lessons these women garnered in their lives into a well-written non-fiction book.With her impeccable research and keen eye for detail, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith offers this epic story to fill in the gaps and imagine how the women navigated the challenges of holding on to hope, building a family in the midst of incredible hardship, and serving as a leader of a difficult people. You will discover how the lives and character of these different biblical women mirror the situations of women today. Whether you’re conducting a Bible study group, speaking in public, or simply deepening your personal understanding of God’s Word. This book gives life-enriching insights, ones that you can learn from, to teachings you can apply, to promises you can stand on and prophecies you can count on. Absolutely fantastic read, grounding in its strength and awe inspiring in its depth. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn more about the Women in the Bible.