Deborah Leads Israel – Judges 4:1 – 5:31

“If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

The prophetess Deborah tells Barak exactly what it is that God wants him to do.  There is no ambiguity in the plan that is clearly laid out for him.  But Barak is only willing to obey God on his own terms, demanding that Deborah accompany him to battle.  He even goes so far as to say that he won’t do it, unless Deborah goes with him.

Obviously, there’s safety in numbers.  And I suppose that Barak wants the assurance that Deborah really believes the oracle that she’s been given.  But if Barak really trusted God, he should have been willing to obey, even if he were the only one!

It’s an easy temptation to fall into: worrying about everyone else instead of ourselves.  From children who “tattle,” to the neighborhood gossip who gets into everyone’s  business, we can easily see this at work in all of its obvious forms.  But this temptation has more subtle and insidious forms that worm their way into the life of the church.

It happens whenever we worry about whether or not other people will join us, instead of simply being obedient.  We wait for an official endorsement… or for someone else to do what God is calling us to do.  We  find ourselves basing our willingness to obey upon the choices of others–wanting someone else to go with us, or to join us in our ministry or our endeavor.  Ultimately, our desire for “numbers” can cause us to feel as though the ministry that God gave us isn’t a success unless we can get others to come along. Consequently, it’s far too easy to worry about everyone else, instead of taking care of ourselves.

What’s God asking you to do?  Are you willing to do it, even if He hasn’t asked anyone else to join you?