Don't Make Excuses
After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help. Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. (Judges 4)
Deborah was unique. She was, first of all, a woman in a man's world. She was a female in a patriarchal society. And she was a Hebrew. With two big strikes against her, she could have just thrown in the towel without even trying. After all, no one would have faulted her if she'd just stayed at home and taken care of her normal business. She might have raised a few children, tended the goats, kept the tent tidy and had a little fabric-dyeing business on the side. She could have led a nice, normal, stress-free life.
But God had other plans for Deborah. First, He made her a prophetess. Then He made her a judge. Then He put her in charge of the armies of Israel, allowing her not only to lead the people to victory, but to lead Israel back to God. Deborah could have made excuses for her situation. She could have looked at herself and her circumstances and said, "I'm just a woman. I can't do this. Go find someone else." But she didn't.
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The other thing Deborah didn't do was deny her position as a woman and a wife. She didn't walk away from her family and her responsibilities. She didn't divorce Lappidoth so she could join the army and be President. Instead, she lived up to all the responsibilities that God gave her, both private and public.
And she didn't make excuses. For anything.
Whether you are male or female, take the example from Deborah. Don't deny the responsibilities God has given you in order to take on others . And don't make excuses when God tells you to do something. He knows your circumstances. He knows what's going on. He knows who you are. He knows your limitations. What you need to remember is that He doesn't have any limitations, so keep your focus on Him and watch what He can do with your life.
From Newsong Ministries
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Used with Permission.
