If You Will Go...

SCRIPTURE

Judges 4:1-16 (NRSV)
Israel's enemies drown

The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years.

At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, 'Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.'" Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." And she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ten thousand warriors went up behind him; and Deborah went up with him.
Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the other Kenites, that is, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had encamped as far away as Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the troops who were with him, from Harosheth-ha-goiim to the Wadi Kishon. Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you." So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him. And the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and all his army into a panic before Barak; Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot, while Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-ha-goiim. All the army of Sisera fell by the sword; no one was left.


DEVOTION

This Bible story is a wonderful illustration of what happens when your ears are attuned to the voice of God and when you are willing to walk in radical obedience to the will of Spirit!

First of all, I honor my sister Deborah for being a good and righteous judge over Israel and who could hear the voice of God so clearly. I pray that all of us would be so attuned to the voice of Spirit that we too would be able to dispense wise counsel into our own lives and the lives of others!

When we learn to listen and obey, we are blessed, for God is always speaking to God’s children. In Barak’s case, he did listen and obey and God used him in a mighty way to deliver his people from the hands of their oppressors.

After reading Barak’s request for Deborah to accompany him into battle, I was reminded of the importance of asking GOD to accompany us in our daily lives.

Of course, God is omnipresent. God is everywhere at all times! God is Immanuel, God with us. But, I bet it makes our God feel good when we consciously declare, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go."

We ought not to go anywhere that God does not lead us! We ought not to do anything unless we have the permission of our God!

As we walk and talk with God on a daily basis, God will lead us and guide us in the way that we should go. Our lives will unfold as a living testimony to the power of Love to transform situations and circumstances. Our very being will be magnified by Spirit such that people want to be around us—not just because we will provide food, water, clothes, shelter, visitation, and care, but also because we are so full of the love, joy, and peace of God that it is contagious!

This side of the cross, and during this Epiphany season, I really encourage all of us to be Epiphany Stars shining brightly for Jesus!

As people who know and believe that Jesus died on the cross to make atonement for our sin and gift us with eternal life, we ought to live in such a way that people come running asking, “What must I do to be saved?”

If we are truly shining bright for Jesus, listening to and obeying the Word of God, then I believe that God will lead us to do great things for the Kingdom of Love.


Are you ready? Let us pray:

God, please make me radically obedient to your Word. Please help me to be able to hear and heed you in my daily living. Please forgive me for those times that I have missed the mark and please fill me up with the Holy Spirit to overflowing so that I can share your love liberally with others. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.


THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html