Just an Ordinary Day…Until It Wasn’t

In our Bible Study last night, I had the opportunity to teach the story of a woman seldom discussed in Sunday School. Her name barely fills a few verses, yet her courage changed Israel's history!

The story begins with Israel under severe oppression from Jabin, a Canaanite king, whose army was led by the fearsome Sisera. God raised up Deborah, a prophetess, who summoned Barak to lead Israel's army into battle. Though Barak agreed, he insisted on Deborah's company, to which she replied, "I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman" (Judges 4:9).

When the battle turned against Sisera, he fled on foot and sought refuge in the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael welcomed him, covered him with a blanket, and gave him milk when he asked for water. Exhausted, Sisera fell into a deep sleep. Then Jael—housewife extraordinaire—took a tent peg and hammer, approached the sleeping commander, and drove the peg through his temples into the ground, killing him instantly.

When Barak came searching for Sisera, Jael calmly invited him in to see the dead commander. Just as Deborah had prophesied, Sisera was delivered into a woman's hand.

As I studied and prepared to teach this rather gory tale (not your typical ladies' Bible study material!), I found four powerful lessons:

First, God works through ordinary people. Jael had no title, no position, no army. She was simply a housewife, yet God used her to deliver an entire nation. Your lack of credentials doesn't disqualify you from God's service. You don't need a fancy degree or letters after your name. As 1 Corinthians 1:27 reminds us, "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise." Simple things. Ordinary things.

Second, courage often happens in small spaces. Jael's battlefield wasn't some grand military stage. It was her tent, her home. Sometimes our greatest acts of courage happen in ordinary places: our living rooms, workplaces, or neighborhood streets. Don't discount the significance of faithful obedience in small spaces.

Third, be prepared. Jael didn't wake up planning to kill an army commander, but when opportunity knocked, she was ready. She knew how to wield that hammer and tent peg with precision—tools she likely used regularly. Keep sharpening your skills; you never know when God will call you to use them.

Finally, use what you have. Jael didn't have a sword or spear, just common household tools. Yet in God's hands, they became weapons of warfare. What's in your hand today? A pen? A mixing spoon? A computer? A listening ear? Whatever it is, God can use it mightily.

As I prepared this lesson for my ladies, I wondered: am I prepared for my "Jael moment"? Are you? We may never drive a tent peg through anyone's head (thankfully!), but we're all called to courage in our own tents. The question isn't whether God will use us, but whether we'll be ready when He does.