Scripture
Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel called out to the Lord for help.

Observation
The nation of Israel falls away from the Lord again and so the Lord allows them to be oppressed by the Canaanite king Jabin. His general is Sisera who leads a fearsome military force. After twenty years of oppression, Israel calls out to the Lord.

Deborah has been judging over the disputes of the people of Israel, and the Lord tells her to go to Barak with the command to raise an army to throw out Sisera's forces. Barak is afraid and demands that Deborah go with him.

So Barak's army is able to drive out Sisera's men because the Lord causes a panic to come over the enemy. Sisera flees as his army is destroyed. He seeks shelter in the tent of Jael, a woman he thinks is a supporter. As he sleeps she drives a tent peg through his temple.

Application
It seems amazing that it took twenty years of oppression before Israel turns back to the Lord. The fact is that we can be very stubborn and slow to repent.

The book of Judges shows repeatedly a pattern where people turn away from god, are oppressed by other nations then finally call out to God for deliverance and He sets them free.

Not every form of suffering is the result of our own disobedience to God, but often we find ourselves in a bad place because we have refused to heed the words of the Lord. The first step to finding happiness is to turn back to God and to seek His solutions.

Prayer
Lord please help me to listen to you and to bring my life into alignment with your purposes. Amen.