Learning from Deborah’s Bravery
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
—Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Who is the most courageous person you have ever known? I bet they would tell you that courage has less to do with being fearless and more to do with overcoming fear when it inevitably shows up.
Throughout Scripture, we are given examples of women and men showing great courage in the face of incredible fear—whether Daniel in the lions’ den, Esther before the king of Persia, Peter walking on the stormy waters, or the women who stayed with Jesus during his torture and crucifixion while most of his disciples were scattered.
And in the book of Judges, we find another great example of godly courage in the form of Deborah. Deborah was a prophet and judge in ancient Israel at a time when the people of Israel continued to fall back into familiar patterns of fear and wickedness. Because of this, God handed his people over to the king of the Canaanites, Jabin, and his commander, Sisera. The Canaanite king “had nine hundred iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed [the Israelites]” (Judges 4:3).
Barak was called by God to lead the Israelite army against the Canaanites. Deborah summoned Barak, saying, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you…?” (Judges 4:6).
Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
“I will gladly go with you,” she said, “but you will receive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera to a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Judges 4:8–9)
Going to battle is terrifying enough, but imagine going into battle against insurmountable odds. Deborah was no warrior, and I am sure she was not immune to fear. But Deborah understood that she was not leading the Israelite army; God was.
Deborah found courage in the fact that God was ahead of them and was fighting on their behalf. Being an expert in the law, Deborah likely remembered God’s promise to his people in Deuteronomy 31:8: “The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
Jesus also reminded his disciples of this principle before sending them out to minister:
“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. Beware of them, because they will hand you over to local courts and flog you in their synagogues. You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:16–20)
Foreshadowing what his disciples would face after his ascension, Jesus prepared his disciples by reminding them that—though the danger was real and they would face difficulty and pain—he would be with them through his Spirit, speaking for and contending on their behalf.
Jesus calls us to draw our courage not from our own strength but—like Deborah—from our trust in God’s promise to be with us in the face of what we fear most. It is only then that we can “gladly” follow God as he leads us to overcome insurmountable odds in his name (see Judges 4:9).
To Consider:
1. When was a time you demonstrated godly courage in the face of fear? What did God teach you in that time of courage?
2. Where in your life today are you struggling to overcome your fear? What might it look like to follow God with courage in the midst of this situation?
Have you ever had a season of discouragement? A time when nothing seemed to go your way, when you felt attacked or mistreated, or when a difficult struggle seemed to shade everything in your life for the worse?
I know I’ve been there. It’s in times like these that I find myself clinging tightly to the encouragement of others. And it was a time like these that led Nehemiah to offer incredible encouragement to the Jewish people.
As Jewish people returned from exile in Persia, they found Judea and Jerusalem in shambles. Furthermore, many who had taken up residence in the land were very hostile to those returning. Through the encouragement and leadership of a man named Nehemiah, the Jews were able to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, thus protecting themselves from those who wanted to harm them.
Here are a few things we learn from Nehemiah to encourage us in our own difficulties and help us to encourage others in theirs.
Encouragement Starts with Empathy
In the first chapter of the book, Nehemiah received word of the dire state of Jerusalem and how the small Jewish remnant there was living unprotected. “When I heard these words, I sat down and wept,” Nehemiah wrote, and he immediately began to pray on behalf of the Jews in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:4). Nehemiah was not in Jerusalem himself, but he felt deeply for his sisters and brothers who were.
Jesus’ encouragement also starts with empathy. By stepping down from heaven and becoming a human, he put himself in our situation. He continues now through his Spirit to meet us where we are, and we can trust that he understands what we are going through.
As we look to encourage others, let’s start with putting ourselves in their shoes and feeling with them through our empathy.
Encouragement Points to God
Nehemiah also leaned on the strength of God in his encouragement rather than on human strength. Speaking of those who wanted to harm the Jews and derail the rebuilding of the wall, Nehemiah said, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord” (Nehemiah 4:14).
In the people’s discouragement, Nehemiah reminded them that their trust did not need to be in their own abilities but in the God of the universe who was by their side. This is a wonderful encouragement to our own hearts in the midst of challenges, and it also reminds us to point others to trust not in their own impressiveness but in God’s.
Encouragement Takes Action
Lastly, Nehemiah demonstrated that the strongest encouragement is carried by action. Nehemiah came up with a plan to help protect those building the wall from attack (see Nehemiah 4:15–23). This reminds us that words of encouragement can only go so far. But when paired with encouraging action, they can lift someone’s spirit and help them make it through their discouraging situation.
During his earthly ministry, Jesus did not simply encourage those around him with words. He paired his words with action by walking with, healing, and ultimately dying for those he loved. May this be a reminder of the God who lives in us and encourages us daily, and also a reminder of the kind of encouragement he calls us to emulate.
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Wherever we may be feeling discouraged today, I pray we would turn to Jesus and allow his powerful encouragement to fill us and overflow to those around us.
To Consider:
1. When was a time that you felt especially encouraged by someone? What made their encouragement so impactful?
2. Where in your life do you need Jesus’ encouragement today? Say or write a short prayer asking him to encourage your heart.
3. Whom might God be calling you to encourage today? How can you plan to encourage them like Nehemiah (starting with empathy, pointing them to God, taking action)?
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