leading Innov

5.1 Devotional – Deborah

Getting Started

Deborah calls people to fight against oppressors. Marble high relief by sculptor A. V. Loganovsky created in 1847-49.

Deborah was a judge who became known for her wisdom and strategic leadership. She often was found under the shade of a palm tree, where others brought her their problems for her wise advice. As a judge, Deborah helped settle disputes and provide guidance to the Israelites. She recruited leaders to carry out God’s calling for the Israelites. One such leader, Barak, challenged Deborah to join him in battle, which she did. Under her military leadership, the Israelites won the victory over Jabin, the king of Canaan, and lived in peace for 40 years ( Judges 5:31 (new tab) ).

In addition to being a military leader, Deborah was also a prophetess. She listened to God and communicated His will to His people. She also knew how to recognize and celebrate God’s faithfulness. After the Israelites defeated Jabin king of Canaan, she sang a song of celebration for all the Israelites to hear. Deborah commemorated all that God had done and celebrated His faithfulness to them.

Change experts suggest that celebrating small wins encourages the change process (Kotter, 2002, p. 7). As this week kicks off, consider what wisdom lies in celebrating small changes. 

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Explore how living out values and virtues fosters change in others.

· Reflect on personal willingness to engage in a change process.

· Reflect on the importance of celebration.

Background Information

Review this short  article (new site)  on the judges of the Bible.

Access the drop-down below to read or listen to Judges 4.

Deborah - Judges 4

Instructions

1. Review the information in the Getting Started section.

2. You may want to refer to your personal Bible for a preferred translation of the story of Deborah in Judges 4–5.

3. Write a half-page reflection paper (Word document) that shares what stands out to you about the story of Deborah. What wisdom do you see in her story? What inner qualities did she possess that made her a good leader? How would you have responded in her situation being called to battle? Have you ever experienced success on the other side of a challenge? What happened? How did you celebrate on the other side?

4. Reflection papers are to be written in accordance with  APA Guidelines (7th ed.) (new tab)  including format guidelines. Papers must be logical, well organized, grammatically correct, and have correct spelling and sentence structure.  Write in complete paragraphs.