Be Available

These were Barak’s words to the prophetess Deborah when she told him that the Lord was calling him to defeat Sisera. Sisera was captain of the army of Canaan, and had constantly oppressed Israel for twenty years before Israel finally defeated him. Deborah must have seemed at first to be an ordinary person. She was a wife and probably a mother in Israel. But she was also a judge and a prophetess. She heard messages from God, obviously having greater influence over the people than Barak, despite the fact that he was able to muster an army of 10,000 men (Judges 4:14). Verse five says that the people came to Deborah as she sat under a tree named after her. There, she humbly and obediently gave them God’s messages and judgments.

One day, God gave Deborah a message to give to Barak. It was time, time to trust God and believe him for victory over their enemy, Sisera. Barak must have been terrified. The only words of his that are recorded are in our key verse. “I will only go if you go with me,” he told Deborah.

What strikes me in this passage is Deborah’s humility in the midst of her honesty. She did not take this request lightly or let it go to her head. She was simply available. Acknowledging the cultural traditions of the day, she reminded Barak that as a man, he was expected to be the leader. By depending on her, he was forfeiting the right to glory over defending Sisera.

Deborah and Barak did see the defeat of Sisera, because Deborah was available for God to use her and obedient to his voice.

It’s hard sometimes. Hard to be obedient to the voice of God when few others seem to hear it. It’s only through spiritual maturity and humility that you and I, as vessels of God’s will, can carry out God’s calling, especially when we, like Deborah, are not the ones who call the shots. All we have to do though, is be available.

Dear Father, thank you for your faithfulness, and for calling us to be available. You alone are worthy of the glory that comes from victory. Please help us to hear your voice and to trust you, partnering with others who hear your voice and fighting the good fight of obedience.
In Jesus name, amen.

Throughout this day: How can you be available to God today?
Here is a link to a song that encourages us to be available and give God the glory: