Winning Over Bullies

 

By Phyllis Freeman

Has not the Lord gone ahead of you.

Judges 4:14

 CHARACTERS

Sisera

Deborah

Barak

Jael

A true story is found in Judges 4.

A military commander, Sisera, was a bully. He harassed God’s people, the Israelites. They prayed for deliverance from Sisera’s bullying.

Deborah was a prophetess and Israel’s judge. She told a soldier, Barak, “I’ll lure Sisera and his troops to the Kishon River. You be ready to attack his army.”

Barak told Deborah, “If you don’t go with me… I won’t go.”

“I’ll go,” she said, “but the Lord will give Sisera over to a woman…has not the Lord gone ahead of you?”

Since Barak was afraid, God was going to let a woman wipe out the great military leader. God always has a plan for victory before we face a difficult time. He goes before us and makes a good plan. Our part is to trust Him.

Deborah said, “Go, this is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands.”

Barak attacked Sisera’s men.

Sisera jumped from his iron chariot and ran. This bully was a coward. He asked Jael if he could take a nap in her tent and asked her to become his lookout.

When Sisera lay down to sleep, Jael picked up a tent peg and a hammer and pounded the peg into his head with a solid whack. Ouch!

Sisera was a half-hearted warrior, because he wanted to lay down to sleep during the battle. He didn’t deserve to win. God let Israel win the war, because Deborah trusted in God.

Has someone bullied you at school or in your neighborhood?

Sometimes we aren’t strong enough to deal with bullies alone. Ask God’s help and He will say, like Deborah, “Go.” Know that God has given you a way to overcome this situation. It may be different than you first thought, but He will help you.

 

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

A freelance writer, Phyllis Qualls Freeman has more than four hundred published devotions and human interest stories. She has five grandchildren and loves to tell them about God .