May 6 – Judges 4, Judges 5 John 4:43-54, John 5:1-15 Psalm 57:1-6

Judges 4:8-9

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.” 

Barak had an opportunity to be a hero to his people. He could have been the one to kill the enemy Sisera. But he doubted. He was uncertain. He trusted that God was with Debora and wanted her along because he was unsure God was with him. 

As a result of his uncertainty he missed the opportunity. Instead Sisera would die at the hands of no warrior, but a woman. God will accomplish what He sets out to do. When He calls you it’s not because He needs you, but to give you an opportunity to take part in the victory. If you won’t trust, He will use someone else and you’ll be the one to miss out. 

Judges 5:27

Between her feet

he sank, he fell, he lay still;

between her feet

he sank, he fell;

where he sank,

there he fell—dead.

Ok, let me be honest. This is a really strange song, isn’t it? It’s really specific and descriptive and doesn’t seem too catchy. But a song like this carried two purposes. First it was an opportunity to thank God through song. That’s always good. When God brings you victory never forget to say thank you. But also, in a society that was not 100% literate, the news of the victory would spread throughout the land. So, yes it very descriptive when it comes to Sisera’s death – but consider it more of a news report than a really morbid song. 

John 5:6-9

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

Do you want to be healed? What a question! At first you think, yeah – of course he wants to be healed – what an obvious question!

But actually it’s an important question. Wanting to be healed and wanting to change is a large part of receiving. Jesus told us to Ask, Seek and Knock. God knows what we want, but He wasn’t a us to ask Him, because to do so is and act of humility that we can’t change a situation and He can. 

And sometimes, we actually don’t want change. What we really want is to complain about our circumstances. It doesn’t take much browsing through Facebook to discover that. 

So actually – it is a good question. Do you want change? If you do – ask.