Fri.’s Devo - God’s Will Be Done

Read: Judges 4:1-5:31; Luke 22:35-53; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 14:3-4 Once Ehud died, the people went back into idolatry and sin. The Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor who ruthlessly oppressed them for 20 years. The commander of his army was Sisera who had 900 iron chariots. *** Israel was being judged by Deborah who sat under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel. She sent for Barak who lived in Naphtali and told him to call out an army from his tribe and Zebulun and come to Mt. Tabor. She would tell Jabin’s army to meet them at the Kishon River where there was quicksand. There, God would give them victory. *** Jabin said the only way he would go to battle was if Deborah came with him. Deborah told him she would go, but the honor of the victory would go to a woman. *** When the armies met, God indeed gave Israel victory and everyone of Sisera’s men were killed. He escaped to the tent of Jael, who Sisera thought was an ally. She pretended to be, and gave him some milk and told him to rest. While he was resting, she took a tent peg and nailed it through his temple. When Jabin got there, she showed him the dead Sisera. *** Debora and Barak sang the song of victory together which told the story of their battle and the honor went to Jael just as Deborah had predicted. The song even tells of how Sisera’s mother waited and when he didn’t come home, she imagined what he was doing - choosing the women he wanted and picking out the most colorful embroideried robes for her. She had a surprise coming to her! A nail had been driven through his temple and God’s Temple got the victory. *** In Luke, Jesus was in the upper room eating the Passover seder with his disciples. He told them that things were going to change after this night. They would need a sword to protect themselves from now on and their own money (Judas would not be handling the money matters anymore and people would not be so welcoming out of fear of persecution.) *** Then Jesus took them to the Mount of Olives where he usually went to pray. He told them to pray that they would not enter into temptation. He went off by himself and prayed that God would take away the suffering he was about to go through. But, he wanted whatever the Lord wanted. He prayed with such passion that blood came out of his pores. An angel came and encouraged him and strengthened him for what was coming. *** Jesus found his disciples sleeping and woke them. Judas approached with a crowd and walked up to greet him with a kiss. Jesus called him out on it. The disciples asked Jesus if they should defend him with their swords. Peter even slashed off the right ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus said this was not the time. He touched the man’s ear and healed it. *** Jesus turned to the leading priests and asked if he was some dangerous criminal that they would come with a crowd with swords and clubs. They could have done this peacefully in the middle of the day in Jerusalem. He added, “but this is the time when the power of darkness reigns.” *** Satan always does his work in the night under the cover of darkness. Children of the light do their good deeds in the light under the brightness of God’s glory. We have nothing to hide. *** May we walk as your children of light. May our good deeds show your glory. Thank you that your light is exposing all the deeds Satan is doing in the dark. Their evil deeds are all coming to the light so they can be judged. May your glorious justice shine forth!