Matching Hearts

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

MATCHING HEARTS

Judges 5:13-18

13 "Then the men who were left came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came to me with the mighty. 14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff. 15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. 16 Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. 17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves. 18 The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.

NIV

Not all twelve tribes are mentioned here, although ten were and we wonder if this is all about Israel or if there is something, some truth that seems obscure, or hidden within the meaning of this stanza. What is revealed to us that we can use as our truth for today, in fact, for our lives. Some followed after Deborah and Barak, to march out to war, but we notice that in the districts of Reuben, there was much searching of heart. The question Deborah asked, is why did Reuben stay by the campfires or the sheep or cattle pens to hear them mooing or baaing? Were they not concerned about aiding their brothers? Why were they searching their hearts? Why did the Gilead, which would have been the tribes of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh stay in their own place? Could all those who did not come to fight be so concerned with their own commerce then help their brothers? We found that within Dan was the business port of Joppa which became the seaport for Jerusalem. However, what we wonder is whether we get so involved in our own commerce that we fail to see the needs of others. We know as a member of a local community of believers, we support through our tithes and offerings various ministries such as missionaries or various projects to help the disadvantaged. Therefore, in some way we have put forth some effort, some of our profits from our commerce to aid our fellow workers for Christ, or for those who need to know Christ. Yet have we searched our hearts to find anything else the Lord has planned for us? Are we searching his will, searching his heart, so that we know what we are to do for his kingdom? We need to search our own hearts and examine if we are so busy with our own stuff, our own desires, lingering by our ships, so to speak, or staying in our coves, our little shelters, which could even mean our own congregation, thinking only about ourselves, getting into that “Us four and no more” mentality. We always need to be searching our hearts, and searching the heart of God. Do our hearts match his? Do we have matching hearts?