Hammer on Anvil '

Judges chapter 4 tells the story of a great battle. The Lord spoke through the prophetess Deborah, who was a judge over Israel in her time. She passed the Lord's message to an army captain named Barak:  he was to take troops to Mount Tabor to defeat the leader of King Jabin's army (Sisera). Barak's response seems almost comical in context to the time. He would not go unless Deborah, a woman, went with him. God turned Barak's lack of faith into a lesson for all time: Sisera was not delivered into Barak's hand, as the Lord had originally said. A woman, Jael, was credited with his death. She was not important under any other circumstances. She was the wife of Heber the Kenite, and according to the customs of the time, she had no value apart from her husband. But the Lord granted her the wisdom to know Sisera needed to be stopped, and the means to do the job.

God uses the most unlikely people in history to change its course. Rahab, a prostitute, was instrumental in getting the Israelites into the promised land. Hosea and Gomer, the most unlikely union between a prophet of God and a prostitute. God used their relationship to send a message to Israel of their unfaithfulness to Him and His unstoppable love that kept coming after them. Paul, a former "bounty hunter" of Christians, became one of the most charismatic and faithful leaders of the early Christian church. Esther, an orphaned Hebrew girl, became queen and saved the entire nation of Israel.

The Bible is full of the stories of people just like these who had no business being in the circumstances they found themselves in, other than as a part of the plan of the Creator. Like us, these ordinary people had no idea the larger role their lives would play in the course of history. Many of them probably experienced moments of insecurity about their value. Surely they wondered if their lives meant anything at all.

As we struggle to find our place in this world and in God's kingdom, we need to remember who has the answers. The Lord is our Creator, and only He has the authority to define us. We can do nothing apart from Him, including decide who we are. Spend some time with the Creator of your soul and find out who He has made you to be. When we live in the center of God's will, we shine, but if we don't take the time to discover what His will is, contentment will elude us.