Hey Family,
Have you ever looked around at the world and wondered, "Lord, where are the answers?"
Have you ever watched people struggle, families break apart, communities hurt, and hearts grow weary and thought, "Somebody needs to do something"?
Most of us have.
But what if God is looking at us and asking a different question?
What if He is saying, "Why not you?"
That brings us to one of the most remarkable women in all of Scripture: Deborah.
Her story is found in Judges chapters 4 and 5, but her impact reaches far beyond her generation. Deborah was not simply a woman in leadership. She was a woman who heard God clearly when everyone else was listening to fear.
And perhaps now, more than ever, we need Deborah's example.
A Nation in Trouble
When Deborah appears in Scripture, Israel is in trouble.
The people had drifted away from God.
Fear had taken hold.
The roads were dangerous.
The enemy had oppressed them for twenty years.
Imagine that.
Twenty years of frustration.
Twenty years of discouragement.
Twenty years of wondering when things would change.
Maybe some of you understand that feeling.
Perhaps it has not been twenty years for you, but it has been long enough.
Long enough battling sickness.
Long enough caring for someone you love.
Long enough carrying grief.
Long enough wondering when God is going to move.
That was the atmosphere Deborah stepped into.
And God chose her to be a voice of hope.
God Uses Those Who Listen
One of the greatest lessons from Deborah's life is this:
God is not looking for perfect people.
He is looking for willing people.
Deborah was available.
She listened.
She obeyed.
She trusted God enough to speak what He said.
Sometimes people ask why God used Deborah.
I think the better question is why wouldn't He?
She was listening.
When others were distracted, Deborah was listening.
When others were discouraged, Deborah was listening.
When others were afraid, Deborah was listening.
God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people who are willing to hear His voice.
The Palm Tree Ministry
The Bible tells us that Deborah sat under a palm tree.
People came to her for wisdom.
Think about that.
She wasn't traveling with a marketing team.
She wasn't promoting herself.
She wasn't trying to build a platform.
People sought her out because wisdom was flowing from her life.
In today's world we have more information than ever before.
But wisdom is becoming increasingly rare.
Information tells you what happened.
Wisdom tells you what to do next.
Deborah carried wisdom.
And people were drawn to it.
Family, never underestimate the value of wisdom.
Your title may not open doors.
Your wisdom will.
Deborah Did Not Wait for Permission
One thing I love about Deborah is that she did not spend her life waiting for someone else to solve the problem.
She became part of the answer.
Many people spend years waiting for conditions to become perfect.
They wait for more money.
They wait for better health.
They wait for more confidence.
They wait for someone to notice them.
They wait for someone to give them permission.
Deborah didn't wait.
She responded.
And because she responded, an entire nation changed.
I wonder how many people are waiting on God while God is waiting on them.
Courage Is Contagious
When God told Deborah to call Barak into battle, his response was interesting.
He told her, "If you go with me, I'll go."
Something about Deborah's confidence strengthened his courage.
That still happens today.
Have you ever noticed that faith spreads?
One person starts believing.
Then another.
Then another.
Before long, an entire atmosphere begins to change.
The same is true with fear.
Fear spreads.
Discouragement spreads.
Negativity spreads.
But so does faith.
Deborah teaches us that courage is contagious. Someone has to be willing to go first. Someone has to believe first. Someone has to stand first.
Maybe that someone is you.
Deborah Called Herself a Mother
This may be my favorite part of her story.
After the victory, Deborah did not celebrate herself.
She did not call herself a queen.
She did not call herself a celebrity.
She did not call herself a superstar.
She said:
"I arose a mother in Israel."
What a beautiful picture.
A mother protects.
A mother nurtures.
A mother encourages.
A mother believes.
A mother stands in the gap.
That is what Deborah became.
And that is what so many people desperately need today.
Not more celebrities.
Not more influencers.
Not more noise.
We need spiritual mothers.
We need spiritual fathers.
We need people willing to help others become who God created them to be.
What Would Deborah Look Like Today?
If Deborah lived in our generation, I don't think she would spend all her time arguing on social media.
I think she would be listening for the voice of God.
She would be helping hurting people.
She would be speaking hope into difficult situations.
She would be mentoring others.
She would be building people instead of building an empire.
She would be reminding us that God has not abandoned His people.
She would be pointing us back to truth when everyone else is drowning in confusion.
Most of all, she would be reminding us that God still speaks.
A Word for Those Who Feel Overlooked
Perhaps you are reading this and wondering if God can still use you.
Maybe your life doesn't look the way you thought it would.
Maybe you've experienced loss.
Maybe you're fighting a battle nobody sees.
Maybe you're sitting in a dialysis chair.
Maybe you're caring for a loved one.
Maybe you're grieving relationships that have changed.
Maybe you feel forgotten.
Family, Deborah's story reminds us that God specializes in using people in unlikely places.
You don't need a throne to impact lives.
You don't need a stage to influence people.
You don't need perfect circumstances to fulfill your purpose.
You simply need a willing heart.
God can use a person under a palm tree.
He can certainly use you.
Final Thoughts
The significance of Deborah was never her title.
It was her obedience.
She listened when others were distracted.
She stood when others were afraid.
She spoke when others were silent.
She trusted God when circumstances looked impossible.
And because she did, a nation found hope again.
Perhaps that is the message God wants us to hear today.
Stop waiting for someone else.
Stop assuming God wants to use everybody but you.
Stop focusing on what you don't have.
Offer God what you do have.
A willing heart.
An open ear.
A surrendered life.
Because God is still raising Deborahs. And sometimes the voice He is raising is yours.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the example of Deborah. Thank You that You still use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.
Help us hear Your voice above every distraction, every fear, and every circumstance. Give us courage to obey You even when the path is uncertain.
Teach us to walk in wisdom, faith, and humility. Use our lives to bring hope, healing, and encouragement to those around us.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
If Deborah's story encouraged you, share this teaching with someone who needs to be reminded that God can use them too.