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Lead Like Jael: 7 Timeless Principles for Today's Women of Faith
What if the pursuit of “having it all” is costing women the very things they were made to love?
In a culture that insists women must choose between two extremes—become a “girl boss” or embrace a “tradwife” ideal—many find themselves longing for something deeper. Neither path fully answers the yearning for purpose, wisdom, and a life aligned with God’s design.
Lead Like Jael offers a better way.
Drawing from the lives of Jael, Deborah, Sarah, Esther, Mary, and other heroines of the Bible, Emma Waters presents a compelling vision of womanhood rooted not in ideology, but in wisdom, faithfulness, and joyful submission to Jesus Christ in every season of life.
Named after the unexpected wartime heroine who defeated Israel’s enemy with a simple tent peg, Lead Like Jael argues that Jael’s greatness was not found in rejecting her femininity, but in faithfully embracing the life God had given her. Years of ordinary obedience in her God-given responsibilities prepared her for extraordinary faithfulness in a decisive moment. She didn’t seek a battlefield, but she didn’t shrink back when obedience to God required bold action. She simply used what God had placed in her hands, right where He had placed her.
That same pattern still holds true today. When women honor the seasons, limits, and responsibilities entrusted to them, God equips them with the wisdom and courage needed for every trial, every calling, and every moment.
Written for women in every stage of life, Lead Like Jael rejects simplistic cultural labels and invites listeners into biblical maturity. Waters makes the case for the Tent Peg Strategy, offering seven principles for living wisely in a disordered
* Discernment shaped by God’s Word
* Shrewdness guided by conviction and courage
* Resourcefulness grounded in duty to one’s home
* Hospitality as a life-giving and life-saving force
* Marriage that embraces husbands as battle-mates, not rivals
* Motherhood as warfare wielding self-sacrificial love
* Wise counsel from faithful women
Whether you’re just beginning your journey or guiding others along theirs, this book meets you where you are and speaks with strength, clarity, and hope. God’s Word leaves no room for “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down” (Proverbs 14:1).
In a culture that insists women must choose between two extremes—become a “girl boss” or embrace a “tradwife” ideal—many find themselves longing for something deeper. Neither path fully answers the yearning for purpose, wisdom, and a life aligned with God’s design.
Lead Like Jael offers a better way.
Drawing from the lives of Jael, Deborah, Sarah, Esther, Mary, and other heroines of the Bible, Emma Waters presents a compelling vision of womanhood rooted not in ideology, but in wisdom, faithfulness, and joyful submission to Jesus Christ in every season of life.
Named after the unexpected wartime heroine who defeated Israel’s enemy with a simple tent peg, Lead Like Jael argues that Jael’s greatness was not found in rejecting her femininity, but in faithfully embracing the life God had given her. Years of ordinary obedience in her God-given responsibilities prepared her for extraordinary faithfulness in a decisive moment. She didn’t seek a battlefield, but she didn’t shrink back when obedience to God required bold action. She simply used what God had placed in her hands, right where He had placed her.
That same pattern still holds true today. When women honor the seasons, limits, and responsibilities entrusted to them, God equips them with the wisdom and courage needed for every trial, every calling, and every moment.
Written for women in every stage of life, Lead Like Jael rejects simplistic cultural labels and invites listeners into biblical maturity. Waters makes the case for the Tent Peg Strategy, offering seven principles for living wisely in a disordered
* Discernment shaped by God’s Word
* Shrewdness guided by conviction and courage
* Resourcefulness grounded in duty to one’s home
* Hospitality as a life-giving and life-saving force
* Marriage that embraces husbands as battle-mates, not rivals
* Motherhood as warfare wielding self-sacrificial love
* Wise counsel from faithful women
Whether you’re just beginning your journey or guiding others along theirs, this book meets you where you are and speaks with strength, clarity, and hope. God’s Word leaves no room for “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down” (Proverbs 14:1).
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Published March 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 27, 2026
Wtf is this 🤣 f*ng hell dude. She legit said that you can't truly offer hospitality unless you make the meal from scratch and that using ultra processed ingredients when hosting devalues the time around the table. Shut up 🤣 there is also a section called "Be good at being a woman. Not just a good woman." And then proceeds to list all of the stipulations of what constitutes being good at being a woman. This book makes me more mad than Hannah's Children did. The fact that some people genuinely find this helpful is disturbing.
May 6, 2026
Started out strong.... but once I got into the chapter on marriage, I had some disagreements (which is ironic considering who she quotes). I would be curious to read an update when she's 70+ years old.
Still, overall, I think she has some great insights. The book would be good for a discussion group.
Still, overall, I think she has some great insights. The book would be good for a discussion group.
April 1, 2026
Lead Like Jael was devotional and convicting. I found Waters' insights about shrewdness and resourcefulness particularly keen. An accessible and quick read without compromising intellectual heft.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst." Amos viii.11-12
If there was a constant in our countless parties and events attended in Washington D.C., it was that any mention of Holy Scripture would perk ears and lighten eyes. Time and time again, if our conversation ever circled to the Bible, folks would lean in and ask more questions.
What Emma has done aptly, succinctly, and powerfully in Lead Like Jael is take the narratives of Scripture, subject them to the royal wisdom literature, and apply them to our "fair virgins" fainting for thirst. The result is a torrential downpour of Scripture weaved into every corner of the text that doesn't moralize or burden heavy souls, but illuminate a path of life for weary women.
It's also accessible. Bible heavy books tend to lack clear application, and woman-centric books often lack clear intellectual heft. Emma is the perfect person to combine the best of Biblical gravity with clarity and applicability every day women need. Her work in popular writing online for years has meant she is one of the best communicators of her generation, and her robust mind is always going deeper and further and wider.
Emma is also very creative. She takes some of the most creative orthodox Biblical exposition today from JB Jordan, Peter Leithart, and Fr. Mark Brians, and merges it with the underexamined elements of many on the political "right" today. A congresswoman (and grandmother) on leaving the workforce for decades as a mother. A prominent reporter's reflections on supporting her husband's vocation. A controversial political philosopher's decades-old reflections on Esther. The First Lady's new portrait in the White House.
These forays into modern politics do not overshadow the book at any point, but instead reveal a discerning mind taking the cutting edge drama of political life, and critically examining them through the lens of the everlasting.
This is not a book of Law, or simple rules fortradwives children to follow, but an illuminated manuscript of Biblical witnesses crying out "young woman, run the race set before you, and tread every step God has planned for you with joy."
If there was a constant in our countless parties and events attended in Washington D.C., it was that any mention of Holy Scripture would perk ears and lighten eyes. Time and time again, if our conversation ever circled to the Bible, folks would lean in and ask more questions.
What Emma has done aptly, succinctly, and powerfully in Lead Like Jael is take the narratives of Scripture, subject them to the royal wisdom literature, and apply them to our "fair virgins" fainting for thirst. The result is a torrential downpour of Scripture weaved into every corner of the text that doesn't moralize or burden heavy souls, but illuminate a path of life for weary women.
It's also accessible. Bible heavy books tend to lack clear application, and woman-centric books often lack clear intellectual heft. Emma is the perfect person to combine the best of Biblical gravity with clarity and applicability every day women need. Her work in popular writing online for years has meant she is one of the best communicators of her generation, and her robust mind is always going deeper and further and wider.
Emma is also very creative. She takes some of the most creative orthodox Biblical exposition today from JB Jordan, Peter Leithart, and Fr. Mark Brians, and merges it with the underexamined elements of many on the political "right" today. A congresswoman (and grandmother) on leaving the workforce for decades as a mother. A prominent reporter's reflections on supporting her husband's vocation. A controversial political philosopher's decades-old reflections on Esther. The First Lady's new portrait in the White House.
These forays into modern politics do not overshadow the book at any point, but instead reveal a discerning mind taking the cutting edge drama of political life, and critically examining them through the lens of the everlasting.
This is not a book of Law, or simple rules for
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Well, the first thing I must say is that the title of this book is very misleading (and factually wrong as it was Deborah and not Jael who led). The author’s idea of leading seems to be limited to children and other women. By the end of the book, the people she names as leaders are pastors, husbands, mentors, and fathers. Which, in her world, are all men. Women can advise, persuade, and risk their lives, but never seek to lead them. But I digress.
Waters made so many novice mistakes when trying to discuss these women that it was very distracting. She said Naomi sent Ruth to Boaz’s land to glean; she didn’t. She said King Ahasuerus, in the book of Esther, reverses his decree against the Israelite’s; he legally couldn’t. And while I know it’s easy to assume that Solomon wrote Proverbs 31, it was actually credited to King Lemuel as relaying what his mother had told him. These may seem inconsequential but if Waters made such easy errors in her reading comprehension, what is there to say about her exegesis?
Not much, sad to say. She separated the women using the themes of maiden, mother, and matriarch, and tries to squeeze them to fit her modern ideals of womanhood. I can’t say I believe Abigail made a conscious decision to take care to honor her husband, Nabal’s, role when she went out to save a man from slaughtering innocents. I also don’t think Esther’s superpower was the way she hosted a dinner party, or showed “hospitality” as it were. Yes, this was a patriarchal culture, but one that we don’t fully understand as average 21st century Americans. The reason these women’s stories are in the Bible is not to showcase their deference to men, but it many cases to highlight their faith, courage, and righteousness.
But the saddest part for me is that, by the end of the book, you realize the whole thing was just politically conservative propaganda. The Bible disappeared and the Republicans showed up. Throughout the book you understand that the author is politically conservative, and I don’t think there was a single example of a modern women in the book that wasn’t. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that if this was a book about politics or about favorite conservative/Republican women, but it wasn’t. This was to be a book about lessons learned from faithful women of the Bible, not how the Heritage Foundation would prefer them to be.
I’m afraid that with the poor analysis, blatant political propaganda, and occasional mixed messaging, I cannot recommend this book.
Waters made so many novice mistakes when trying to discuss these women that it was very distracting. She said Naomi sent Ruth to Boaz’s land to glean; she didn’t. She said King Ahasuerus, in the book of Esther, reverses his decree against the Israelite’s; he legally couldn’t. And while I know it’s easy to assume that Solomon wrote Proverbs 31, it was actually credited to King Lemuel as relaying what his mother had told him. These may seem inconsequential but if Waters made such easy errors in her reading comprehension, what is there to say about her exegesis?
Not much, sad to say. She separated the women using the themes of maiden, mother, and matriarch, and tries to squeeze them to fit her modern ideals of womanhood. I can’t say I believe Abigail made a conscious decision to take care to honor her husband, Nabal’s, role when she went out to save a man from slaughtering innocents. I also don’t think Esther’s superpower was the way she hosted a dinner party, or showed “hospitality” as it were. Yes, this was a patriarchal culture, but one that we don’t fully understand as average 21st century Americans. The reason these women’s stories are in the Bible is not to showcase their deference to men, but it many cases to highlight their faith, courage, and righteousness.
But the saddest part for me is that, by the end of the book, you realize the whole thing was just politically conservative propaganda. The Bible disappeared and the Republicans showed up. Throughout the book you understand that the author is politically conservative, and I don’t think there was a single example of a modern women in the book that wasn’t. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that if this was a book about politics or about favorite conservative/Republican women, but it wasn’t. This was to be a book about lessons learned from faithful women of the Bible, not how the Heritage Foundation would prefer them to be.
I’m afraid that with the poor analysis, blatant political propaganda, and occasional mixed messaging, I cannot recommend this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lead Like Jael by Emma Waters is a powerful and encouraging reflection on the often-overlooked story of Jael in the Bible. Emma Waters thoughtfully brings attention to Jael’s courage, obedience, and quiet strength, showing how God can work through ordinary people who are willing to trust Him and act when He calls.
What I found makes this book especially impactful is how it draws lessons from Jael’s story that apply to our everyday lives. Rather than focusing only on leadership in a traditional sense, Emma highlights the deeper spiritual principle of living attentively to God’s guidance. Jael’s story reminds us that sometimes the most significant moments of faith happen in unexpected situations, and that courage often looks like simply saying “yes” when God leads.
I believe the book encourages readers to trust God’s direction even when the path feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable. It’s a reminder that obedience, faithfulness, and a willingness to step forward can allow God to work through our lives in ways we may never fully see.
I would genuinely recommend this book, as its message speaks into every season of life. Whether you are in a season of waiting, stepping into something new, or simply seeking to live more faithfully, this book offers encouragement to follow God’s lead with courage and trust, knowing that a life surrendered to Him can have a powerful and lasting impact.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for providing me with this reader copy.
What I found makes this book especially impactful is how it draws lessons from Jael’s story that apply to our everyday lives. Rather than focusing only on leadership in a traditional sense, Emma highlights the deeper spiritual principle of living attentively to God’s guidance. Jael’s story reminds us that sometimes the most significant moments of faith happen in unexpected situations, and that courage often looks like simply saying “yes” when God leads.
I believe the book encourages readers to trust God’s direction even when the path feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable. It’s a reminder that obedience, faithfulness, and a willingness to step forward can allow God to work through our lives in ways we may never fully see.
I would genuinely recommend this book, as its message speaks into every season of life. Whether you are in a season of waiting, stepping into something new, or simply seeking to live more faithfully, this book offers encouragement to follow God’s lead with courage and trust, knowing that a life surrendered to Him can have a powerful and lasting impact.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for providing me with this reader copy.
March 30, 2026
This book is a fantastic book for strong women living strong lives. 10/10 recommend for young women especially!
I enjoy Christian and fantasy literature and found this book accessible and practical to my life.
I enjoy Christian and fantasy literature and found this book accessible and practical to my life.
June 23, 2026
I had a hard time getting into this book. It didn't capture my focus long enough for me to appreciate what the book had to offer. I'm sure there is something to pull from it, but I didn't. Wasn't a huge fan.
June 14, 2026
This is probably the most thorough book on Biblical womanhood I've read. The author repeats herself a bit and is a bit verbose, but absolutely worth the read.
June 16, 2026
Overall good. It's worth the intro and the final chapter. Definitely repetitive. Could have been a shorter book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews