WEBVTT - Why God Often Uses Unexpected Solutions (Judges 4:21)

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello, thank you for listening to your Daily Bible Verse,

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<v Speaker 2>the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn

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<v Speaker 2>more about God and his will for us. I'm your host,

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<v Speaker 2>Jennifer Slattery, and after this short word from our sponsors,

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<v Speaker 2>we'll dive into today's Bible Verse Judges four twenty one.

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<v Speaker 2>Today's Bible Versus Judges for twenty one A jail Heber's

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<v Speaker 2>wife picked up a tent peg and a hammer and

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<v Speaker 2>went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep. Exhausted,

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<v Speaker 2>she drove the peg through his temple into the ground,

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<v Speaker 2>and he died. Our God can reach us in and

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<v Speaker 2>rescue us from the deepest pit, and often does so

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<v Speaker 2>in unexpected ways, reminding us that nothing is beyond his

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<v Speaker 2>power to redeem and say. For fourteen years, my friend

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<v Speaker 2>slipped further and further into alcoholism. Things became so bad

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<v Speaker 2>one night she begged God to take her life. The

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<v Speaker 2>next morning, she awoke angry that he hadn't answered her prayers. Later,

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<v Speaker 2>while driving to work, an elderly man frantically waved her down. Confused,

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<v Speaker 2>she stopped locking eyes with her.

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<v Speaker 1>He said, Hey, I don't know why I had to

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<v Speaker 1>stop you, but God told me to tell you he

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<v Speaker 1>loves you. She knew immediately that the Lord was reaching

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<v Speaker 1>out to her in her despair. He found me in

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<v Speaker 1>my darkest hour, she said, and restored my light. Her

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<v Speaker 1>story in the events surrounding today's Bible Verse highlight a

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<v Speaker 1>comforting truth. Our Father can use all things, including the

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<v Speaker 1>most unexpected means, to rescue his children. In doing so,

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<v Speaker 1>he teaches us to trust in him, not our resources

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<v Speaker 1>or solutions. In last Friday's Your Daily Bible Verse episode,

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<v Speaker 1>we discussed how God called Barak to confront Israelite's Canaanite oppressors.

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<v Speaker 1>Barack agreed if Deborah accompanied him. She did, but said

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<v Speaker 1>a woman would receive the honor for Sisra's defeat. Reading

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<v Speaker 1>these events, one might assume she was referring to herself.

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<v Speaker 1>No one expected Jail, whose husband had formed an alliance

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<v Speaker 1>with canaan to defeat their commander. Here's how it happened. Cisra,

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<v Speaker 1>the Canaanite commander, gathered his troops, including his nine hundred

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<v Speaker 1>iron fortified chariots, and marched to the Kisharon River, likely

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<v Speaker 1>anticipating an easy win, but the Lord intervened. According to

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<v Speaker 1>verse fifteen, quote at Barrock's advance. The Lord routed Sisra

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<v Speaker 1>and all his chariots in army by the sword, and

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<v Speaker 1>Siser got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

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<v Speaker 1>He sought refuge at Hebber's house to his demise, using

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<v Speaker 1>his exhaustion against him. Hebber's wife, Jail, invited him in,

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<v Speaker 1>gave him a blanket and a skin of milk, and

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<v Speaker 1>once he fell asleep, she drove a tent peg through

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<v Speaker 1>his temple, arising as the unlikely champion Deborah predicted in

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<v Speaker 1>verse nine. Notice everything Cisser relied on for strength and security,

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<v Speaker 1>fortified chariots, powerful soldiers, and the allied place in which

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<v Speaker 1>he hid and sought safety, all those things failed. They

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<v Speaker 1>proved no match to the power and sovereignty of the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord of Heaven's armies. Here's why I find this comforting.

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<v Speaker 1>When difficulties hit, I often look for rescue in expected ways.

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<v Speaker 1>When those outlets prove ineffective or nonexistent, I'm prone to panic.

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<v Speaker 1>I fall into the same mental fallacy conveyed in Psalm

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<v Speaker 1>seventy eight, verse twenty, which reads, speaking of God True,

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<v Speaker 1>he struck the rock and water gushed out Streams flowed abundantly,

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<v Speaker 1>But can he also give us bread? Can he supply

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<v Speaker 1>meat for his people? In other words, yes, the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>rescued me one way in one situation, but this problem

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<v Speaker 1>I'm facing now feels different. Can God still help me now?

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<v Speaker 1>To which Jail and Barack's story in essence replies absolutely,

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<v Speaker 1>Because ultimately the victory comes not from horses, chariots, strong armies,

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<v Speaker 1>or brilliantly strategic leaders, but through Christ. I don't know

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<v Speaker 1>what you're facing now or what challenges you might encounter tomorrow,

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<v Speaker 1>but I do know this. The same God who liberated

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<v Speaker 1>ancient Israel in their distress is more than capable of

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<v Speaker 1>rescuing you as well. Let's pray, Holy Father, as we

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<v Speaker 1>sit in the Book of Judges, we are awed by

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<v Speaker 1>your constant grace. You see all of our failures are weaknesses,

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<v Speaker 1>all the ways that we rebel and land in a mess.

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<v Speaker 1>And you meet us, You offer grace, You offer rescue

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<v Speaker 1>before we have even finished our prayer. You meet us.

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<v Speaker 1>You are not slow to keep your promises, You are

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<v Speaker 1>not slow to show your faithfulness. Your arm is not

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<v Speaker 1>to save. You are the God of Heaven's armies. You

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<v Speaker 1>are the God who sees us who sees our pain,

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<v Speaker 1>our fear, all of the problems standing before us, everything

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<v Speaker 1>that feels way too heavy, way too insurmountable. You see

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<v Speaker 1>it all, and you are moved by compassion, by mercy,

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<v Speaker 1>by love. You speak to our souls in a thousand

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<v Speaker 1>different ways. I am here, I am with you, I

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<v Speaker 1>see you, and I love you. Help us to recognize

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<v Speaker 1>your hand, your expressions of grace, whether that's through a

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<v Speaker 1>beautiful sunrise that displays your glory, a note from a friend,

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<v Speaker 1>a song we hear on the radio, a message spoken

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<v Speaker 1>through someone we trust. Help us to be receptive to you.

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<v Speaker 1>Increase our love for you. When the ground beneath us

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<v Speaker 1>feels unsteady, May we focus on our true rock, You.

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<v Speaker 1>We love you, and we praise you. And it is

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<v Speaker 1>in the name of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ,

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<v Speaker 1>that we pray. A month

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<v Speaker 2>M