Trust God, Start Where You Are, Use What You Have, and Do What You Can (Judges 4-5)

Big idea: When God’s people forget to remember the Works of God as told in the World of God, they stop responding to the love of God and they struggle with their identity. ·       Core idea: Who we are – how we perceive our identity is tied to how we perceive God and his word. When we remember the works of God as told in the Word of God, we respond to the love of God, and we gain clarity about our identity. Why? Because he made us and longs to be in relationship with us. Judges 4-5 God delivered Israel from the Canaanites and demonstrate his superiority to the Canaanites and their storm god* Baal. How did he do that? Despite Barak’s confusion about his identity as a man and as Israel’s deliverer, the Lord encourages him through a capable woman (Deborah), delivers him through an unexpected rain storm* and delivers Israel through an unexpected, but courageous woman with only a hammer and tent stake (Jael). Even when we fail to trust him, God is still motivated by his grace and kindness. God is worthy of our devotion because even though we fail to trust him and get confused  he is still able to accomplish his purposes through unlikely people and perfectly timed events, for he alone is the mighty king who is compassionate toward his people.