Warrior Queen

My awesome granddaughter!
Costume created and photo taken by
John Mattson. 

And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

                                                                            (Judges 4:8-10, 14-15 KJV)

For twenty years, the children of Israel had been oppressed by the Canaanites.  

Deborah, a leader in Israel was a prophetess and judge. She had instructed Barak to lead the vast army of Israel against the Canaanites. But, he would not go unless Deborah went with him. She went. The army was defeated. 

Sisera, the leader of the Canaanite army was also  defeated; but, not by Barak's army. He was defeated by Jael, the wife of Heber. She pounded a nail into his temple when he took refuge in her tent to rest. 

Throughout history we can find sprinklings of women who have served in various ways to defeat oppression and injustice of various kinds. God calls whom He will call to serve and lead his children. Some are rich; others poor. Some are young. Some are old. Some are men and some women. 

Let us thank God for all whom He has called.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Yielding Fruit?

Blessed is the one
   who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

At the least change or disruption to life there are those who cause so much drama one would think the world was ending. These ones not only do not bear good fruit; but, often cause more disruption. They are like grass blowing in the wind; mowed over at the landowners earliest convenience. Afraid that their personal sovereignty will end with change, they will fight it tooth and nail, interfering with growth; interfering with the bearing of much fruit.

But, the one who loves the Lord and considers the way He would have us go is like the tree that is firmly planted in soil beside streams of water. On the riverbanks of my home in Aura and on the canal where I now live in Flagler Beach, many of the trees have been blown about by the winds. They are old and have been bent down by the winds of time. They have changed immensely since they were seedlings. Yet, they continue to grow with their roots planted firmly within the soil. The winds nor the waves have been able to take them down.

Change does not necessarily mean death. It often means new life. Even as the trees change with the season, so do all living things. When winter comes, the trees often look like they are dying or even dead. But, then comes spring and new life begins to bear another season of fruit.

The one who drinks of the water of life will live and yield much fruit. Such is the person who delights in the law of the Lord. They change and adapt to the various seasons. They bend from time to time. But, they will not break.

May you drink abundantly of the streams of living water provided by Jesus Christ, our Lord that you might follow wherever he would lead bearing much fruit.

God's Peace - Pr. J