Defining a strong woman. Interview w/devotional author Dianne Neal Matthews (TWO GIVEAWAYS)

Dianne Neal Matthews is the author of two One Year Bible Devotional books for women. My favorite? The One Year WOMEN of the Bible. It is packed with 365 devotions on women of faith--then and now--whose experience with God influenced history. Dianne Matthews shares a little bit about strong women, her writing journey, and her brief launch of a rap career!

Suzie Eller: It's always great to talk to you. I love your heart for others. There are many strong women in the Bible. Can you tell us a little about one of the stories that most affected you?

Dianne Matthews: She’s not the flashiest woman in the Bible, but I’ve come to really admire Hannah for her quiet strength, courage, and integrity. Hannah ached to have a baby. Her husband didn’t seem to understand her deep longing, and his other wife mocked Hannah mercilessly for not having children. To make matters worse, when Hannah poured out her heart to the Lord in prayer, the priest accused her of being drunk.

God granted the desire of Hannah’s heart when He gave her a son. But a few short years later, Hannah fulfilled the vow she’d made and left Samuel at the Tabernacle, dedicating him to full-time service to God. Hannah knew she was exposing her son to a corrupt environment because of Eli’s two wicked sons, and her interaction with him would be restricted to occasional brief visits. But Hannah believed in the power of prayer.

Because of her devotion to God, Hannah gave up what was dearest to her heart. Because of her trust in God, she was able to place Samuel’s welfare in His hands. Hannah reminds me to pour out my heart’s longing to God (and not just to girlfriends) and that I can trust Him with what is most precious to me. Her story also reminds us that God rewards faith—she gave birth to five more children and saw Samuel grow up to be a godly, influential leader.

SE: You also mix in stories of contemporary women, offering 365 devotions! How hard was it to find so many stories?

DM: At first, there didn’t seem to be enough women in the Bible for a one-year devotional, but several of the women gave me enough material for several days. I used groups of women, witnesses to significant events, women in parables, and “invisible” women, like the mother of the little boy who offered his lunch to Jesus.

The contemporary stories are mostly based on real-life women that I’ve known, heard of, or read about, usually with the details changed to guard identity. I even got a couple of ideas from reading Dear Abby. I also include some stories that are from my imagination, but hopefully true to life.

SE: You talk about defining moments throughout. What is a defining moment?

DM: The “Defining Moment” devotionals focus on a point in a biblical woman’s life where she is about to make a crucial decision, a choice that will carry serious consequences either for good or for evil.

Would Rahab protect herself and obey the king’s command, or act on the little knowledge she had of Israel’s Yahweh and protect the spies? Would Ruth and Orpah stay with their families in Moab or follow the unfamiliar road to Bethlehem with their mother-in-law? Would Eve listen to the serpent’s enticing words or obey God’s command?

Some of these women chose wisely and some didn’t. Women today have similar defining moments when we face a choice that will determine the direction of our lives, and often impact others in significant ways. We can be better prepared for these decisions by learning from the examples left by our biblical sisters.

SE: What was the most surprising thing you learned from your study of women in the Bible?

DM: These women lived so long ago, with lifestyles and circumstances vastly different from ours. Yet they had to deal with the same basic problems, temptations, needs, and struggles that we do today. Today’s mothers worry about the safety of their children, especially when a school shooting is in the news. Moses’ mother gave birth to him at a time when the Egyptian pharaoh had ordered that all Hebrew newborn boys be drowned. Sometimes we suffer from doing something that is acceptable in society’s eyes but not in line with God’s will. Sarah’s choice to give her maid to Abraham had consequences that affected not just her, but the history of two nations. Leah and Rachel demonstrated the ultimate sibling rivalry by competing to see who could give the most sons to their shared husband.

Women in the Bible endured mistreatment, prejudice, rape, and war. Some of them lied and manipulated men. Many of them struggled with dysfunctional relationships. Human nature hasn’t changed since the Fall.

SE: Did the experience of researching and writing The One Year Women of the Bible change you? If so, how?

DM: Yes, I think the process did change how I relate to the people in the Bible. The editors at Tyndale urged me to go deep into the biblical women’s emotions, to imagine myself in their situations and how I would feel. This proved difficult at first since I always make a conscious effort to not read anything into the Scriptures that isn’t there.

But once I made the effort to relate to these women from the perspective of my own experiences and emotions, they became more real to me than before. I was able to learn so much from their lives. Before, I found it easy to relate individual verses or passages to my life, but the people in the Bible seemed distant and sometimes unreal. Not anymore—now I see these women as flesh-and-blood people I’d like to meet and have a long chat with over a bowl of figs and dates.

SE: Did it change your perception of God?

DM: Yes, in a sense. It opened my eyes to the way God sees women. Before God formed Eve, He announced His intention to make a “helper” for Adam. That always sounded like a secondary role to me, until I discovered that the same term is used to refer to God in a number of verses, including Psalm 70:5 and 115:9.

God made woman as the final touch that completed His creation. We were like the missing piece in a puzzle. In the Old Testament, God entrusted women with vital roles to carry out His purposes. In the New Testament, God the Son elevated women in ways that shocked a culture where the men thanked God in prayer that they were not born as women.

While rabbinic teachings held that it would be better to burn the words of the Law than teach them publicly to a woman, Jesus willingly taught God’s truth to the women among His followers. He allowed women to support His ministry and travel with His disciples. He even initiated a conversation with a Samaritan woman with a questionable reputation and shocked dinner guests by allowing a repentant sinful woman to touch Him.

Now I have a new appreciation for how greatly God values women and for how He shapes us in unique ways to carry out His purposes.

SE: Is there one overall message that you hope women take away from this book?

DM: That message is found in the very last devotional of the book (which in my totally subjective opinion is the best one ☺). I open with a story of an anxious bride starting down the aisle. When she looks at her groom, she sees a reflection of her beauty in his eyes and his intense longing to claim her as his own.

That scenario gives a little taste of how God looks at us. He loves us just the way we are, even though we don’t see ourselves as desirable, and even when our culture thinks we don’t measure up. And He can’t wait to claim us as His own for all eternity.

SE: You are a full-time writer, so what is a typical day like for you?

DM: I often joke that I’m only a full-time writer when I have a book contract or an article deadline. I’m still trying to develop the discipline needed to write at home with so many other responsibilities and distractions pulling at me. Plus, right now my daughter and granddaughter live close to me while my son-in-law serves in Afghanistan. So I’m doing my best to support my daughter and spend lots of time with Lacey because in several months they’ll be leaving again.

My good intentions are to have devotions/prayer time and exercise before I sit down at the computer. I check email and make any needed contacts with editors, and then I write for several hours. When I need a break from sitting, I put in a load of laundry, get the mail, or clean or iron something. Around mid-afternoon, I usually switch gears and do other writing-related stuff: get books ready to mail, look for new markets to submit to, plan marketing and promotional activities, etc. I’m also trying to reserve an hour most days to study a writing magazine or book on the craft.

I use evenings for household chores, bill-paying and other paperwork, email, organizational tasks, and occasionally, something fun like knitting. Before bed, I usually read for pleasure, anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour and a half. I prefer classic literature, but this year I’ve intentionally read much more widely.

SE: What is one thing about Dianne Matthews that might surprise us?

DM: I had a very brief career as a rapper, sort of. Around twenty years ago, a few women at my church wrote a VBS curriculum on the subject of heaven. They knew I liked to make word plays and rhymes, so they asked me if I could write a rap to go along with it. I agreed to try as long as someone else would perform it. I ended up teaching the rap to the kids each day with my friend, Carolyn. We dressed in oversized neon t-shirts, sneakers, caps turned sideways, and called ourselves “Rosie and Rita, the Righteous Rappers.” We even performed in front of the parents at the closing program. Our public loved us—except I think I saw my own kids hiding under a pew.

SE: Check out TheOne Year Women Women of the Bible and One Year On This Day devotional (great for men or women) at Amazon.com. It would make a great gift for a friend, or add it to your wish list. Find out more about Dianne at her website.

Dianne Neal Matthews is giving away one of each of her devotionals -- just in time for Christmas! Autographed personally.

Leave a comment and you just might be the lucky winner. Normally it's random number generators, but we're going to have fun with this one. Dianne shared that the one thing people might not know about her is her brief stint as a rapper. What is one thing about you that might surprise us? Two commentors will one a book.