1. What Is Happening

God’s people, Israel, had been suffering under a powerful enemy. The enemy’s army had nine hundred iron chariots, but the LORD promised Barak that He would give Israel the victory.

Barak hesitated. He told Deborah that he would go into battle only if she went with him. Deborah agreed, and when the time came, Barak led the men down from Mount Tabor. God kept His promise and defeated the enemy. Later, the Bible remembered Barak as a man of faith.

But Deborah’s song also tells us about the tribe of Reuben. There were great thoughts and searchings of heart among them, yet they remained among their sheep instead of joining those who went into battle. We are not told everything they were thinking or why they stayed.

Barak hesitated, but he went. Reuben thought deeply, but remained. Their responses help us consider what it means to trust God.

2. What This Teaches About God

God is always faithful to His Word. When He promised Barak that He would deliver the enemy, the promise did not depend upon Barak being strong enough to defeat the army by himself. It depended upon the LORD, who always speaks the truth.

We can trust God because His character never changes. We may not always understand what He is doing, but everything He has told us in His Word is true.

Supportive Scripture: “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.” — Psalm 33:4

3. What This Teaches About Us

Sometimes we know what God wants us to do, but we hesitate. Perhaps we need to admit that we were wrong, tell the truth when it is difficult, forgive someone who hurt us, or obey our parents when we would rather do something else.

It is good to think carefully before making decisions. But when God’s Word has already made something clear, we should not keep making excuses to avoid obeying Him.

Faith does not mean we never feel uncertain. It means we trust the Lord and respond to His Word even when obedience is difficult.

Supportive Scripture: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” — James 1:22

4. How This Leads Us to Jesus

Barak’s obedience was not perfect, and neither is ours. But Jesus Christ obeyed His heavenly Father perfectly.

Jesus knew that suffering awaited Him in Jerusalem, yet He went willingly. He lived without sin and gave His life upon the cross to save sinners. Then He rose again from the dead.

We cannot earn salvation by being brave, obedient, or good enough. Salvation is God’s gift, received through faith in Jesus Christ. His perfect obedience and sacrifice accomplish what we could never do for ourselves.

Supportive Scripture: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” — Philippians 2:8

5. What This Means for Our Hearts

The Lord does not ask us to pretend that obeying Him is always easy. When we feel uncertain or do not want to do what is right, we can come to Him honestly and ask for help.

If we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Saviour, God has given us His Holy Spirit. We are not left to live the Christian life through our own strength. The Spirit helps us understand God’s Word and obey Him.

And when we sin, we should not hide our wrongdoing or make excuses. We can confess it to the Lord, turn from it, and trust the grace of our Saviour as we continue learning to walk with Him.

We may sometimes hesitate, just as Barak did. But the important thing is not how strong we feel. It is whether we are learning to trust the God who has spoken.

Supportive Scripture: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” — Philippians 2:13

Words to Know

Faith: Trusting God because He is true and His Word can be believed.

Hesitation: Pausing because we feel uncertain or reluctant to act.

Obedience: Responding to what God has commanded.

Grace: God’s undeserved kindness toward us through Jesus Christ.

Faithfulness: Being trustworthy and keeping one’s word. God is perfectly faithful.

Read another edition: Adult Devotional · Formation Edition