Swap Your "If" for "Up"

Barak's word was if. "If you will go with me, then I will go." But by the time we get to Judges 4:14, Deborah has a different word for him:

Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?" (Judges 4:14)

Up. That's the word. Trade your if for up.

The song of Deborah in chapter 5 opens like this:

"When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the LORD!" (Judges 5:2)

Leaders leading and people willingly offering themselves. That's what moves the story forward. Not perfect people, willing people.

Your next step isn't another meeting

What does "up" look like for you this week? It probably isn't dramatic. It's a phone call, a text, a confession, or forgiving somebody. I'll tell you what it's not. It's not another meeting. It's not scheduling it and putting it on your calendar for time to work on it. That's another if.

The tribes' receipts

Here's the part of the story I find convicting. In Deborah's song, she names who showed up, and she names who didn't. She keeps receipts.

"Among the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart." (Judges 5:15–16)

Reuben had the feels, but they didn't show up for the battle. "We're with you in spirit. Go get 'em. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers." That's a great example of Christian atheism right there. Thinking and doing are two different things. God calls us to be people of action, not people of contemplation.

"Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, and why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, and stayed by his inlets." (Judges 5:17)

Dan was on a cruise. "We'd love to come to your battle, but we already booked this cruise, and you know the penalties for cancelling." Asher went to the beach. They got a clear command and said, "Sorry, I'm booked up that day." We need direction, not delay.

I'm not trying to guilt you. I'm trying to ask: when the story of what God did in this season gets written, where will your name be? Will you be one of the people who willingly offered themselves, or the ones who had great searchings of heart and stayed by the sheepfolds?

God is going to win this battle with you or without you. He went out before Barak. He'll go out before you. The only question is whether you'll get up and go with Him.

So swap your if for up. Make the call. Send the text. Take the step. This is the day.