Imagine an advertisement that reads: Wanted: Desperate Housewives! Let’s also assume that it goes on to say that every woman who is willing to go the extra mile to help husband, children, in-laws (even terrible ones), and also be available to be a battle axe in the vineyard of the Lord, Jesus Christ will receive a lifetime supply of peace, wealth, etc. I’ll bet that without prompting many women will become desperate housewives or strive to fit that description.

What do I mean by desperate housewives? Excuse the activities of the namesake on television. This program on television centers on the promiscuous lives of the wives that live in a particular zip code. This term, however, is being used to describe some women in the Bible who were desperate enough to take actions that brought changes to their lives, family, and nation.

Take a woman like Esther, she did not realize her purpose until her people, the Jewish nation were threatened with extinction. When she was confronted with the request to approach the king on behalf of her people, like anyone else she highlighted the consequences of going in to the king without invitation. Any man or woman who dared to enter into the inner court of the king would be put to death. We thank God for good counselors like her uncle Mordecai, who told her “If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).  That counsel elicited a response from Esther which has been quoted throughout the generations. She instituted a fast for three days, with the people neither eating, nor drinking day nor night. She said, “My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16).  God honored Esther’s request and the Jews were saved from destruction.

Another woman in the Bible that I love to talk about is Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth in the book of Judges Chapter 5. What was happening at that time in the history of the Israelites was that everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. They had abandoned God’s law and so there was corruption within their community and oppression from the outside world. The commandment of God was that they should not make any covenant with the nations that did not know God. However, they disobeyed and co-habited with them. Because of this, God told them in Judges 2:3, “… I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” In the midst of all the confusion in the land, Deborah a housewife, who was also a prophetess was the Judge in Israel at that time. She alerted Barak as to his responsibility of leading the people to battle against their enemies. His reply was to say that unless Deborah went with him to war, that he would not go.

Deborah decided to go with him but made him aware of the fact that, there will be no glory for him in the journey since the Lord had plans to sell Sisera into the hands of a woman. The battle was won and sure enough, another housewife whose name was Jael, was instrumental in the death of the leader of the opposition!  Sisera thought he had found refuge but he fell into the hands of a woman with a purpose. Judges 4:21 “Then Jael, Herber’s wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.” This brought victory to the Israelites.

Woman, you are positioned wherever you are for a purpose. Some women, when they hold the title “Mrs.” think that they have achieved it all. The only woman that was recorded in the Bible as being barren was Michal, David’s wife, so I am certain that women like Esther, Deborah and Ruth had children and yet they found a way to make a difference in their communities and in the politics of the times in which they lived. Women arise! You have such great potential. Let your name be recorded in your sphere of influence as a trail blazer, way maker and high achiever! You can do it! We can do it!  In Jesus’ name!

Grace Eledan Pastors Leaders Church Intl. and she is the founder of Women Aflame Intl., a friendship network, intercession ministry and charity organization mentoring and mobilizing women to be more productive in their spheres of influence. She can be reached at (718) 503-2580 or www.womenaflame.org Also follow us on Face book.  The intercessory line opens every Monday night from 9pm-10pm & Thursday mornings from 5am-6am at (712) 432-0800 Access code 330528#.