Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“The children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is to be this way, why do I live?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,
‘Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
one shall be stronger than the other,
the elder shall serve the younger.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, September 18, 2025
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Rebekah again shows herself to be a strong, independent woman. Faced with what was probably physical pain caused by the warring twins in her womb, she “went to inquire of the Lord.” Um… no one did that. Like, I don’t think it’s anywhere else in the Bible to that point and not all that common afterward. She’s like, “This sucks. What’s the deal, God?” And… God answers her. We don’t get the full picture of how, exactly, God spoke to her. But somehow she got the clear answer that a) she was having twins and b) they were going to become two opposing nations and c) the younger one was going to win out in the end. It explains a lot about her actions subsequent to their birth and rearing. She consults God, she gets a response from God, then she carries out what she believes will bring God’s will to fruition. Honestly, where women in the Bible are concerned…that’s badass. Then again, every time the Bible actually mentions women specifically it’s because they’re badass (or… well, just bad… but we’ll deal with Jezebel later). Miriam. Rahab. Rebekah. Deborah. Ruth. Esther. All strong, resilient, resourceful women who had a real impact on the people around them. Imperfect? Sure. But we all are. So let these be role models for all of us women—and men!
Who are the women who have had the greatest impact on my life? What was it about them that made them impactful?
