A Word Fitly Spoken

My day started out on a good note when I accidentally ran across a comment made two days ago on a blog post written last fall!  For some reason I wanted to look up the post, Voila, Violas!,  I think because it's time to plant flowers.  When I got to the bottom of the page, lo and behold, there was an actual "Comment" from a perfect stranger!  Usually people don't leave comments there because it's a little complicated to post one.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to read, "You're amazing!! Makes me so happy to see Jesus in my Google search on Pansies/Voilas...He is here!! In every bit of my day...bless the Lord...and bless you!! on Voila, Violas!"   It was signed, Jesus Person. To me, it seemed like a word of encouragement from the Lord, as sometimes I wonder if writing Heartthoughts is even a benefit to anybody, although I would probably write it even if no one read it.  It was a special blessing that a fellow believer whom I had never met enjoyed and appreciated the Christian slant of my blog!

Then when I picked up my One Year Bible, I found the Old Testament reading for today was on Deborah, the prophetess, which is an amazing story of a very brave woman.  She was an ordinary woman, a housewife, that the Lord had called to be a judge and counselor.  Her courtroom was the shade of a palm tree, where as Judges 4:5 says, "...the children of Israel came up to her for judgment." 

Apparently, she also acted as military adviser, as she ordered Barak, a military general, to deploy an army of 10,000 men to defend the Israelites from harassing foes, promising to manipulate the enemy leader, Sisera, to come against them.  Furthermore, she said she would deliver him into Barak's hand.  Verse 8 contains the brave reply of Barak, "If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then  I will not go." Obviously he realized God was in her.

Deborah not only went with him, but under God's direction, advised him of  the strategy to be used.  In the end, the victory was won, but as Deborah had predicted, the glory went to a woman--actually two women, Deborah and Jael, a fearless woman who drove a tent peg through Sisera's head. 

Deborah is remembered as a respected leader who listened to God and offered praise to Him ("Bless the Lord!", Judges 5:2.).  Her designation for herself was only "a mother in Israel."

I don't claim to be a prophetess, just a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  But even as Deborah had a sphere of influence, so does every woman, and it is my prayer that some word I write will be a blessing to a reader (and it is a blessing to me when I hear about it!).