MONDAY, 9/28/14 HISTORY: Judges 4:4-16 “W.O.G. Woman of God!” (By Barry) WORSHIP: https://youtube/watch?v=wNRFumI2ch0 SCRIPTURE: blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jdg&c=4&t=NLT#s=215004 We don’t talk much about Deborah. But we should. She was an incredible hero. This is such a cool and unusual story. Let’s see what we can learn from today’s verses: —Deborah was both a prophet and a judge. She was married, but even though it was quite unusual, even as the wife, she was the famous person in the household. — Did you catch the name of the place that Deborah “worked”? She had her own place, called the “Palm of Deborah,” and it was between Ramah and Bethel. Where have we heard the name “Bethel” before? (Hint: The answer is in this past Saturday’s 555!) — So, what did it mean that Deborah was a prophet and judge? She was the person God used to communicate to the people of Israel. God SPOKE to her, and she then spoke to the people. —Don’t miss this: EVERYONE recognized that Deborah had more than just a ROLE. She had a RELATIONSHIP with God. An amazing one. — One day, Deborah calls Barak, and tells him she has a message from God for him. (What would you think if you heard those words?) What was the message? —Make sure you catch what happens: Deborah tells Barak that God has chosen him to lead Israel to an amazing victory. Barak’s response to that good news was, “That’s great, Deborah, but I will only do it if you go with me!” (Serious Question: Are those the words of a wimp, a wise man, or both?) —What would it have been like to be Deborah? She was a woman, and let’s face it, they didn’t have many rights. God didn’t look down on women, but men sure did. Yet, out of all the people in Israel, she has been chosen to be their judge. And God Himself has chosen her to be HIS prophet! —So, what do YOU have in common with Deborah? Do people look down on your for some reason? Are you the person who should NOT be successful? Or, on the other hand, do people consider you to be someone who is close to God? —How many times in these verses does Deborah speak for God? —There are a few people in my life who I sometimes refer to as “WOG’s”. These ladies are clearly being used by God, and have a tremendous relationship with Him. They are “Women of God”! How about you? Would anyone ever call you a WOG or a MOG? Why or why not? :-) —What else can we learn from today’s story? PRAYER: Most of us seek a certain ROLE. But Deborah valued RELATIONSHIP. That seemed to take care of the details for her. Ask God to help you to have the deepest relationship with Him you have ever known. Then, your roles in live will take care of themselves. This story creates a brand new craving in me to be like Deborah. I want to be known as someone who is intimate with God, and I want to constantly have conversations with Him. How about you? Wouldnt today be a good time to start?
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 00:09:54 +0000