Lead

Re:Verse reading–Judges 4:1-22 (day six)

I do not think the primary lessons in Judges relate only to leadership. They are there for sure, but they are not the POINT. At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite,…let me whisper to you today, “lead.” Who in your life are you calling to move forward, to take a step? With whom are you joining the fight? Are you speaking gracious truth to another? Are you willing to do the hard thing, not just the convenient one? Are you counter-cultural? Life-giving instead of draining? Inspiring instead of deflating? Loving even when it hurts? Forgiving even when it is unreasonable? Tough even when you feel as if you will break?

Who in your life are you leading? Your single friends? Your husband or wife? Sons and daughters? That neighbor, that friend, that colleague who you know needs SOMEONE? That stranger? Will you lead at home? In the hallways and offices of your workplace? At the Spurs watching party? Will you live out the Gospel in all of life, in all the places that you go? Will you lead?

Are you called, you may be wondering? Yes, let me tell you, you are called. That’s what the Gospel does; it raises you from death to life, and calls you to lead.

So let me whisper to you today…”lead.”

Be Prepared

Re:Verse reading–Judges 4:1-22 (day four)

Ask any high school football player in Texas what the worst part of playing football is and he will probably say two-a-days in August.  Killers!  You’ve laid off all summer…you kept intending to work out…your high calorie diet has added a few extra pounds.  “Next year I’ll do better.”  Two-a-days are designed to prepare you for the season…many of your games will be won depending on the advance preparation you have done.

For Israel, God promised to go before them in battle.  All they had to do was be obedient to Him.  Verse 14 says, “…behold, the Lord has gone out before you.”  What a promise to have God go before you.  Don’t you want God’s spokesperson to declare to you that God has gone before you in battle?

For us, our preparation for battle is prayer.  We must bath everything we do in prayer or it is useless in God’s Kingdom work.  We can face insurmountable odds if only God has gone before us!

Irritant

Re:Verse reading–Judges 4:1-22 (day three) 

“On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites.”  For such an unfaithful nation, the Israelites certainly occupied a place of favor with God.  But that is precisely the point.  God doesn’t wait until people love him first; he doesn’t look for people to become good enough to warrant his help.  God loves first.  God helps first.  And as we can plainly see, God does all this for people who don’t deserve it.  This is profoundly irritating to us.  Shouldn’t people have to meet a minimum standard to merit God’s attention?  If we can ask that question with a straight face, should people be thankful that neither you nor I are God?

Conditions

Re:Verse reading–Judges 4:1-22 (day two) Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” vs 8

The Lord was very clear in his instructions to Barak given through Deborah, but it didn’t bring peace to Barak. He knew what he was to do, and was even guaranteed a successful outcome, but he wanted insurance. He felt if Deborah would accompany them into battle it would turn out well. She went, they succeeded, but Barak had to learn a lesson in trust.

Have you ever put conditions on the Lord? Have you clearly heard from him only to continue to demand things of him? “I’ll obey, but…” This is where our lack of true faith is made evident. God will accomplish the task that you have been called to be a part of, the only question is will you put your own conditions on him, and jeopardize your blessing?

Her Honor

Re:Verse reading–Judges 4:1-22 (day one) 

“She used to sit under a palm tree. . .between Ramah and Bethel. . .and the sons of Israel would came too her for judgement.”–v 5.

A judge in ancient Israel was not what we normally imagine.   No black robe.  No gavel.  No bailiff or jury.  A judge was less title, more function.  In a world without established court systems, people often turned to mediators who had a reputation for fairness and godly wisdom.  They were “judges” because they established “justice” between opposing parties.  See Exodus 18 for the weary task that judging was for Moses.

In 1195 BC, a woman of extraordinary gifts was serving in this capacity.  She was a prophetess –v 1.  And when it was necessary to establish justice between nations and not just individuals, God called Deborah.

Male or female, doesn’t matter,  speak for God and be blessed! “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons (and daughters) of God.”–Matthew 5:9.

Leadership. Listening.

Re:Verse reading–Judges 2:1-3, 6-22 (day seven)

“They did not listen to their judges. . .when the judge died, they would turn back”–v 17, 19.

Leaders are part of God’s equation for blessing.  They lead-we follow.  They speak-we listen, umm. . .well, not always.  Sometimes, people DO what a leader says without BECOMING like him. They cooperate with the external requirement (temporarily) but never hear or internalize the deeper message.

Hearing is the highest compliment we give a leader.  We listen to His heart and share it. It is also the highest good that a leader gives to his people. One day, Peter was busy and noisy with his words and his agenda.  The Father gave him good advice.  “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him!” Mark 9:7.

As you pray this morning, will you stop (talking) and listen to the Lord and His life?  Is there a deeper message that you have not been hearing?  He is leading.  Are you listening?

 

A Failure to Move

Re:Verse reading–Judges 2:1-3, 6-22 (day six)

I have a failure to move. Left to my own devices, my own will and wisdom, I am incapable of any forward motion in this life journey. It’s quite frustrating sometimes, no correct that, it is always frustrating. Have you ever felt that way? Even with the best intentions to change, we often just remain the same. That’s true of us, and it was true of the Israelites. In fact Joshua told them exactly that in Joshua 24:19, “You are not able to serve the Lord,” and that prophecy was fulfilled over and over in Judges. Left to ourselves we have no hope. That’s the rest of the story in Judges, that our hope comes not from human will but from God. He sends aid, makes a way, and provides the means. Always. Left to myself I cannot move; God must move me.

Do you know who the last judge (and King for the matter) was? It wasn’t Samuel. It is Jesus; he is our aid, the way, and our means.

Ingredients

Re:Verse reading–Judges 2:1-3, 6-22 (day five)

Josh McDowell has a well known quote on parenting.  “Rules without relationship leads to rebellion”. Perhaps the same concept applies to passing on faith in God. Maybe the young Israelite generation just saw rules (being followed) without relationship (vibrant faith being modeled and talked about by the older generation).  Result was spiritual rebellion.  See Judges 2:17.

Let’s think about our next generation:  Do they see a genuine and dynamic faith being lived out daily (joyful obedience) in the older generation?  Does our younger generation hear us talking about our experiences with God (past and present)?  (Have our children and teens heard our testimony?  Why not share it this week?). Do our children trust God to meet their needs and be worshipped above all else by what they sense and gather from being close to us on a regular basis (parents/leaders/mentors)?

The faith of the older generation needs to be seen, heard, AND sensed. All are ingredients that give great hope in passing along faith in God.

Teach Diligently

Re:Verse reading–Judges 2:1-3, 6-22 (day four)

Israel had disobeyed the Lord.  They had not driven all the peoples from the land.  God judged their disobedience by refusing to fight their battles for them.  Israel’s disobedience would have long lasting effects.

One of the saddest commentaries though is found in verse 10.  “All that generation (Joshua and the Elders who served with him) also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.”  What had happened to Israel?  In Deuteronomy 6:7, it says, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  Israel had failed to teach the future generations about the Lord.

What about us?  Are we teaching our sons and our daughters about the ways of God and to know Him personally?  Do we consider “religion” to be so personal that we fail to teach the truth to those behind us?  Love the Lord and teach diligently!

ASK

Re:Verse reading–Judges 2:1-3, 6-22 (day three)

“Why have you done this?”  It’s not uncommon for people to ask questions of God.  You might have expressed that thought to God just this morning.  But sometimes God asks questions of us.  When God does so, when God puts questions to us–Where are you? Where is your brother?  What have you done?–he is clearly not seeking information out of ignorance.  That much is self-evident.  What is more important, though, is the fact that God asks questions of us at all.  When God does this, he is addressing us as beings who are responsible for our actions, and beings who are capable of changing the way we think.  When God asks a question, will you act surprised?  Will you act like you don’t know what he’s talking about?