Judges 6, Proverbs 14, Titus 3

God called Gideon a "mighty man of valor" while he was still hiding in the wine press. God saw what He had in mind for the future.

Gideon could only see the present . . .  and he had questions. "If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?"

God didn't answer Gideon's question. He gave an assignment. This is where we tend to push the pause button in our lives. We want our questions answered before we proceed. But Gideon obeyed.

The first assignment didn't look like what it was. Tearing down idols and thus making the whole community angry might not have been Gideon's idea of valor or how to save Israel from the Midianites. But he obeyed. He trusted God to fit all the pieces together.

Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Verse 14 adds, "The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above."

We who have been saved, "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy . . ." have a responsibility "to be ready for every good work." The Bible is full of instructions for right living and we are to follow them. But we are also to follow God's leading in assignments. He lives in us and will, by the Holy Spirit, manifest Himself in such a way as to accomplish His work through us. Even if it doesn't look like what He says it is.

Judges 5, Proverbs 13, Titus 2

Glory. Deborah took time after the victory to give the glory to God. But she also recognized that Israel won because "the people willingly offer[ed] themselves." And she chastised the tribes who didn't provide soldiers.

Surrender. Full surrender to whatever the Lord asks of us - "to the point of death" (v.18) - is required in order to see Him do mighty works through us. Otherwise, we end up on the sidelines watching the triumph of others.

Victory. A wise person, who lives and speaks and works with prudence, joins the victory parade and is satisfied.

Live it Out. Leaders rise to the top as they follow Christ, live pure lives, and teach others how to be like them. We are all trained and taught by the grace of God. When we follow Him, are 100% sold out to Him, it shows in the way we live and speak. That's when God does great things.

Judges 4, Proverbs 12, Titus 1

It doesn't matter who you are. If you have a personal relationship with God and obey Him, He will work through you to accomplish His purposes.

Deborah could have said, "I'm a woman. I can't be a leader." But she obeyed the voice of God. She knew it was His voice because she spent time with Him.

Barak said, "I'll only go if you go, Deborah, but if you go, I will." His obedience was conditioned upon Deborah's. He didn't know God the way she did. Barak didn't have the same faith and trust as Deborah, but he did obey. And I'm sure the experience taught him to know and trust God in a fresh way.

Jael wasn't a soldier or a prophetess. She was a wife. But she evidently had great faith in the Lord. She was a distant relative of Moses and lived in a household that followed the Lord. She could have said, "I'm just a housewife. What You want me to do is dangerous." But she obeyed the leading of God, and His purpose was accomplished.

Righteous living means being honest, truthful, humble, wise, and a hard worker. The difference between a righteous person and an unrighteous is made evident by these qualities, or lack of them. But what makes a person righteous is the Source of wisdom: the Lord. A relationship with Him produces righteous living.

"They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him . . ." Titus1:16. Here is the difference between the righteous and unrighteous. Between those who have faith and those who say they do. Between those who talk the talk and those who walk the walk. Genuine faith is lived out through obedience.