Today’s Reading: Judges 4
Key Verse: Judges 4:4, 5b
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time…And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
God is an equal opportunity employer. His candidates for leadership included women as well as men. God chooses the person best suited for the task. Perhaps, because Israel’s judge was a woman, King Jabin, who was oppressing Israel, allowed her to continue in her role. She used her position of strength to recruit Barak, who in turn called up an army of 10,000 troops. God had waited patiently until Israel called out to Him for deliverance before He would get involved. God does not necessarily bring trouble into our lives when we turn away from Him; it’s simply that if we abandon His presence and protection, and then try, in our own strength, to overcome our problems, we fail in our attempts at finding freedom. We, ourselves, have opened the door for the oppressor to triumph over us.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, I cry out to You daily for Your presence. You are most welcome to intervene in any way You choose in my life, my family and in my community. You’ve created me in Your image, and that includes a free will. I yield my will to You so that I may do Your will. I pray this in the Name of the One who always did Your will, Your Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I’ve often stopped along the highway at the base of Mt. Tabor where the village named after Judge Deborah is located. The present road up Mt. Tabor is quite steep with many hairpin switchbacks. In 1978, my son, David Reynold, had just turned 16. He had his beginner’s driver’s license but little experience. I let him drive the vintage, stick shift, under-powered Volkswagen van up to the top. My wife, Norma-Jean, will tell you that she prayed most fervently all the way up. I admit that it was scary. I know that she believes that the God of Deborah helped us greatly. Experience is a great teacher. Read 1 Corinthians 10:11-13. Just as Israel was tested by neighboring nations, so we are tested. But “God is faithful;” He will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able to handle, but will, with the testing, make a way of escape. I’ve had to learn, at times the hard way, that I must run from temptation. God provides the way of escape, but I must choose to escape into safety in Christ.
