Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Support our mission to teach every verse of the Bible. Read more here: Project23

Our text today is Judges 4:6-10:

She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him. — Judges 4:6-10

What blessings slip through our fingers when we hesitate instead of acting in faith?

God had already spoken: “Go, gather your men… I will give him into your hand.” The outcome was certain. Victory was promised. But Barak hesitated.

Instead of trusting God’s word, he leaned on Deborah: “If you go with me, I will go.” He wanted her presence more than God’s promise. Deborah agreed—but warned him: the glory of victory wouldn’t go to him. God would hand Sisera over to a woman instead.

Barak went to battle, but the lesson was clear: hesitation comes at a cost. God still wins—but when we pause at the edge of obedience, we may miss the full blessing of leading boldly.

This is where too many believers get stuck. God calls. The promise is sure. But instead of stepping out in full faith, we hesitate. We stall. We wait for more signs, more reassurance, more backup.

Barak still fought, but his hesitation meant he lost the honor of leading with decisive courage. Deborah had to fill the gap.

Here’s the challenge: don’t wait for someone else to carry the weight God put on your shoulders. God’s victory doesn’t depend on you—but your faithfulness does. Step up without hesitation. Don’t miss the blessing because you lingered when God said, "Go."

ASK THIS:

1. Where am I hesitating when God has already spoken clearly?
2. What fears keep me from taking the step God is calling me to take?
3. Who might be carrying weight right now because I’ve delayed obedience?
4. How can I step forward today in faith instead of waiting for more certainty?

DO THIS:

Pinpoint one area where you’ve been hesitating. Stop stalling—take one clear step of obedience today.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, forgive me for hesitating when you’ve already spoken. Give me the courage to step forward in faith, trusting your promise more than my fear. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Made For More."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Support our mission to teach every verse of the Bible. Read more here: Project23

Our text today is Judges 4:4-5:

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. — Judges 4:4-5

What happens when men shrink back from the leadership God has called them to?

In the middle of Israel’s chaos, God raises an unexpected leader: Deborah. She wasn’t a warrior swinging a sword or a king sitting on a throne. She was a prophetess who listened to God and spoke his truth.

Her “office” was a palm tree in the hill country. People came to her not for military strategy but for judgment rooted in God’s Word. Under that tree, she became a steady voice of wisdom in a time of compromise and fear.

Here’s what makes her story remarkable: Deborah is one of the only female civil leaders in the history of Israel. Why? Because no man stepped up. This wasn’t God’s usual design—it was a vacuum of male leadership. While Israel’s men hesitated, God used Deborah’s courage to call them forward.

Deborah’s leadership reminds us that spiritual authority isn’t about position—it’s about submission to God. But her story is also a warning: when men fail to lead, God will still accomplish his purposes—sometimes through those we least expect.

This should wake us up. God doesn’t call you to sit under the shade of someone else’s palm tree forever. He calls you to plant your own, to lead your home, your workplace, your friendships with courage rooted in his Word. Don’t wait for someone else to carry the spiritual weight God designed for you.

The world doesn’t need more men who abdicate leadership; it needs men who step up. Don’t miss your moment.

ASK THIS:

1. Where in my life am I waiting for someone else to lead when God has called me to step up?
2. Do I listen to God’s voice enough that others would trust me for spiritual guidance?
3. How has passivity hurt the people around me?
4. What step of leadership can I take this week under the “palm tree” of God’s Word?

DO THIS:

Choose one area where you’ve been passive—at home, at work, or in your friendships—and take the lead today by bringing God’s Word into that space.

PRAY THIS:

Father, forgive me for the times I’ve shrunken back from leadership. Give me Deborah’s courage and conviction to step up and lead under your Word. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Lead Me."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Support our mission to teach every verse of the Bible. Read more here: Project23

Our text today is Judges 4:1-3:

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron, and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. — Judges 4:1-3

Why do we keep falling back into the same sins we swore we’d never touch again?

The story opens with a phrase we’ve heard before: “The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Notice the timing—after Ehud died. With their leader gone, Israel slipped right back into rebellion. Same song, second verse.

This time, God handed them over to Jabin, king of Canaan. And Sisera, his commander, rolled out 900 iron chariots—state-of-the-art war machines. For twenty years, Israel lived under cruel oppression.

And finally—they cried out. The cycle repeats: sin → slavery → suffering → supplication → salvation.

This is how sin works. Left unchecked, it always drags us back into bondage. Maybe your “Sisera” isn’t a general with iron chariots—it’s anger, lust, addiction, or pride. You beat it once, but without vigilance, it creeps back, stronger and more ruthless than before.

And here’s the dangerous part: we learn to live with it. We call it “normal.” We convince ourselves the chains aren’t that heavy. But eventually, sin always shows its true colors—it becomes cruel, it takes more than it gives, and it leaves you emptier than before.

Don’t wait twenty years to cry out to God. Don’t wait until the oppression becomes unbearable. Cry out today. The cycle doesn’t have to define you, because God’s mercy is greater than your failure, and his deliverance is stronger than the grip of your enemy.

ASK THIS:

1. What old sin cycle keeps trying to drag me back into bondage?
2. Do I wait until life gets unbearable before I cry out to God?
3. How does the absence of spiritual leadership in my life make me more vulnerable?
4. What’s one practical step I can take today to break the cycle?

DO THIS:

Name your “Sisera”—the sin that keeps coming back. Write it down. Pray over it. And share it with a trusted brother or sister in Christ for accountability.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, I don’t want to repeat the same old sins. Help me cry out to you now, not later, and trust you to break the cycle. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Lord, I Need You."