Today’s scripture: Judges 4:4-10 (NRSV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me in this passage? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two before reading on.
My thoughts (Kay Olry):
This passage tells the story of Deborah, sometimes referred to as “the Mother of Israel”. Both a Judge and a Prophetess, she was one of a handful of powerful women in the Old Testament.
God gives Deborah a directive for Barak. He is to put together an army of 10,000 men to fight Sisera, the commander of King Jabin’s army. The Israelites had been under Jabin’s control for 20 years.
Barak hesitates… and tells Deborah he will go, but only if she goes with him. The text doesn’t tell us why he wanted Deborah to go with him. Maybe he had trouble believing that the directive came from God. Maybe he just considered her a good luck charm. He could have been looking for a scapegoat if his army wasn’t victorious.
You can almost hear Deborah’s frustration with him. “Fine,” she says, “I will go with you — but know then that the victory will be God’s through a woman.”
You’ve probably been in a situation before where someone hasn’t taken you at your word; or in a situation where everyone has been so busy covering their hind ends that it seemed like nothing would ever get accomplished.
Deborah was a strong woman, given authority by God, and for Barak that still wasn’t enough. Therefore, Deborah went with him. She didn’t argue with him. If going with him would help to fulfill God’s plan, then she would go.
The bottom line is this; sometimes, no matter how right you know you are, you sometimes need to go the extra mile in order to put other people at ease. In the end, that’s what Deborah did. She didn’t argue the point. She used her maturity and wisdom, and got on with the job at hand; in doing so, she helped to fulfill God’s purpose.
Thought for the day: Is there anyone in my life who needs reassurance that God is with him or her in their struggles?
Today, let’s join together in prayer for: all who are considering taking the membership classes that begin on September 17.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. Use the item above as a starting point, or consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.