Shamgar's
story is brief – one verse – but that's all he needs to teach us
that God's
champions start where they are, use what they have and do what they
can.
Shamgar
started where he was.
He
was a farmer, not
a soldier. He wasn’t even armed properly. These were a difficult
days for Israel. They were, once again, under the thumb of another
nation. The streets were abandoned and village life ceased. (Judges
5:6)
These
desperate circumstances motivated Shamgar to act even though his
people had no weapons. (Judges
5:8)
He didn’t wait for better circumstances or greater resources to
act. He started where he was.
Shamgar
used what he had.
An
oxgoad is a farm tool. It was a stick with a metal point on one end
to keep the oxen moving and a paddle on the other end to clean debris
from the plow.
We
don’t need a lot of things that we think we need in to be
successful. You may be lacking money, education, health, skill or
opportunity but you can start where you are and use what you have.
Put
God first in your life and all the rest will be added.
Instead
of focusing on what he lacked, Shamgar used what he had.
Shamgar
did what he could.
He
was not a ruler. He did lead an army. He was a local hero and an
extraordinary warrior. The 600 Philistines he killed with his oxgoad
would not have freed Israel but it was a significant contribution.
The
Kingdom of God is seen in countless small acts. Jesus taught us that
even a cup of cold water given in His name is significant. (Mark
9:41)
No comments:
Post a Comment