by Aaron Lawrence
The Restoration Herald - Jun 2026
Verses 4-9. Deborah was a prophetess; the children of Israel came to her for judgment. In verse six, Deborah reminds Barak that God called him to take men and go fight against Sisera, the leader of Jabin’s army. God even says He will deliver them into his hand. Barak is not willing to take the lead and go alone; he insists that Deborah go with him. Why would he not go? Maybe he was afraid, or maybe his faith was weak. Maybe he felt inadequate, or he thought Deborah was a better person for the job. For whatever reason, Barak would not step up and lead the Israelites on his own. We see from verse nine that there is a price to pay for not answering God’s call—the glory would go to someone else.
A few months ago, I was asked to do something that I never expected. I was honored but felt very inadequate and even afraid to say yes. I requested a little time to think and pray. As I did, I came up with several excuses why I should not do it. I had pretty much decided not to when I sought advice from one of my mentors. Here is what he said, “It is a sin to hide in the baggage, when God wants you out front.”
He was speaking of the time when Samuel went to pronounce Saul as king of Israel. Saul was afraid and hid in the baggage, just like I was afraid and wanted to hide behind my excuses. But there is no glory in that, and God is not pleased with those who draw back (Hebrews 10:38).
God was not glorified by Barak’s unwillingness to take the lead. Therefore, He glorified Deborah instead. She was willing to help accomplish His will. We need to be like Deborah, watching for opportunities and willing to take the lead, even in unlikely situations. Sometimes this is all God needs to use us for His glory and to help accomplish His will.
Verses 10-22. In verse fourteen, after marching to Mount Tabor, Deborah encourages Barak to step up and lead the men into battle; this time, he does. God used him to lead the Israelites and defeat an entire army, minus Sisera, the commander. What if the next time you are presented with the opportunity to take the lead, you do it? At minimum, God will be glorified, but He may just use you to lead someone to Him. I want to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and be a leader yourself. As Christians, God is with us, and it is His will that we lead others in His direction.
When we think about Sisera, we see another unlikely leader emerge onto the scene. As promised, God delivered Sisera into the hands of a woman named Jael. Like her, we need to seize the opportunity presented to us, to do what we know is God’s will.
The advice given to me did not make me change my mind; it caused me to think about the opportunity as it really was. I changed my mind because I believed it was God’s will for me to do this. I also believed He would help me if I would put forth my best effort. Jael did not stop Sisera because she was some great military leader or soldier; she defeated him because she pursued God’s will.
Today, most people are doing evil in God’s sight and facing an eternity of trouble. It is God’s will that we seize every opportunity to use His Word to lead them in His direction. Our attitude should be, “Up, up, this is the day the Lord wants to use you to lead someone back to Him.” Maybe you are afraid, like I was, or your faith is weak, or you think you can’t lead others. Maybe you feel inadequate, or there is a better person for the job. Don’t hide behind excuses. God has, and God will use the unlikely to accomplish His will. We just need to be willing to be used by Him. Are you willing, or are you hiding in the baggage? There is no glory there, no glory for God, and there may be no glory for you when Christ returns.
Discussion Question: What opportunities are there in the congregation where you serve for you to step up, lead others for Christ, and bring glory to the Father in Heaven?
We close with these words from Jesus in Mark 16:15-16: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
I think I will attempt to answer the question in three parts: 1. I should not go out of my way to be unnecessarily offensive. 2. I should not be afraid of being offensive when necessary. And 3. I should get busy doing practical good deeds that, in general, people will find it hard to object to.
In his 2015 book, “Extreme Ownership,” author Jocko Willink defines the title concept as follows: “On any team, in any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. The leader must own everything in his or her world. There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes & admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win.”
A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to become a part of the Board of Directors of International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES). I’ve been exposed to IDES and their incredible ministry for as long as I can remember and have, on several occasions, had the joy of sharing in its work. From participating in work trips to a storm-ravaged Pearlington, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, to helping with shed building projects after a tornado ripped through our neighboring region in 2012, to volunteering with numerous “God Always Provides” (G.A.P.) food packing events, IDES has always been a familiar and beloved mission to me.
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