THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: MONDAY, 19TH JUNE, 2023
TOPIC: YOU CAN ARISE
TEXT: JUDGES 5:1-31
1. Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:
2. "When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD!
3. "Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, [even] I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
4. "LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water;
5. The mountains gushed before the LORD, This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.
6. "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways.
7. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel.
8. They chose new gods; Then [there was] war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9. My heart [is] with the rulers of Israel Who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the LORD!
10. "Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, Who sit in judges' attire, And who walk along the road.
11. Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, The righteous acts [for] His villagers in Israel; Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates.
12. "Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, O son of Abinoam!
13. "Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The LORD came down for me against the mighty.
14. From Ephraim [were] those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter's staff.
15. And the princes of Issachar [were] with Deborah; As Issachar, so [was] Barak Sent into the valley under his command; Among the divisions of Reuben [There were] great resolves of heart.
16. Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart.
17. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets.
18. Zebulun [is] a people [who] jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
19. "The kings came [and] fought, Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoils of silver.
20. They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.
21. The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!
22. Then the horses' hooves pounded, The galloping, galloping of his steeds.
23. 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.'
24. "Most blessed among women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed is she among women in tents.
25. He asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.
26. She stretched her hand to the tent peg, Her right hand to the workmen's hammer; She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, She split and struck through his temple.
27. At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; At her feet he sank, he fell; Where he sank, there he fell dead.
28. "The mother of Sisera looked through the window, And cried out through the lattice, 'Why is his chariot [so] long in coming? Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?'
29. Her wisest ladies answered her, Yes, she answered herself,
30. 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: To every man a girl [or] two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?'
31. "Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But [let] those who love Him [be] like the sun When it comes out in full strength.
MESSAGE:
In our text today, we read of the many ills that bedeviled the nation of Israel at a time when there was a leadership vacuum. It was a time when the nation needed strong leadership, but none could emerge because everybody did according to the dictates of their evil hearts. Evil prevailed, and nightlife ceased because of the great wickedness in the land. It is instructive to note that life abhors vacuum, consequently, Deborah, arose and provided the needed leadership. She was strong and bold, and God used her mightily to restore the land.
In our country today, in our families, offices and communities, we see a similitude of what Israel suffered before Deborah arose. Despair, brokenness, and hopelessness pervade. The ship of state seems rudderless. Times like this call for strong characters, men and women who will arise to save our land. It does not matter whether you are a man or a woman, tall or short, etc., God can use you only if you will purge your life of all filthiness (2 Tim. 2.21). The time to arise is now and you are the one! Nigeria, your family, and your community have been waiting for. Arise! The earnest expectation of creation awaits the manifestation of the sons of God. Arise now.
PRAYER:
The glory of the Lord is risen upon me; I am arising in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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