1 Chronicles 7:24: Sheerah shows that you can do great things

If you have a long to-do list and/or are facing large obstacles, consider the account of Sheerah in 1 Chronicles 7:24:

His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah,

It is easy to overlook Sheerah. This is the only time she appears in the Bible, and we are given almost no information about her life. She appears as a side-note in the middle of a genealogical record where most generations are given no more than a namedrop. Yet, there are two things that I would point out.

First, in an overwhelmingly patriarchal culture, Sheerah managed to build not just a house or even a city. No, she built THREE cities. These cities were less about large metropolitan centers than they were about fortifications and defense. To have three cities, Sheerah had to control a considerable amount of land, and she had to be followed by a rather significant army. That is, she had a tremendous amount of power in a time when women were not allowed to do so.

Second, she accomplished these things without fanfare or drama. Put another way, she didn’t stop to worry about how hard it would be or make excuses about why she couldn’t do something. She didn’t listen to the naysayers who were saying she was just a woman or anything else. She just did it.

So if your to-do list is long, and the odds against you are even longer, remember Sheerah. You can do great things, and you don’t have to let anyone stop you.