Today's Reading:

There is no reading today, but you can use this time to catch up on any days that you may have missed this week. 

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Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.
Judges 3:16

In the book of Judges 3:16, Ehud made a double-edged sword and strapped it to his right thigh because he was left-handed. What others saw as weakness, being left-handed, God turned into the perfect setup for deliverance. He was the last person they would expect to pull off an escape, so he was unexpected and overlooked, yet God put him right where he was needed. The double-edged blade showed that Ehud did not wait for fancy weapons; he used what was available.

God shows up here as He does not require impressive strength, and works through our willingness and skills. Throughout Judges and the Bible, we see the same pattern:

• Shamgar used an oxgoad- a farming stick (Judges 3:31)
• Jael used a tent peg — a household tool (Judges 4:21).
• Gideon used jars and torches — breakable objects (Judges 7).
• An unnamed woman dropped a millstone — a grinding stone (Judges 9:53).
• Samson used a donkey’s jawbone (Judges 15:15).
• David used a slingshot and five smooth stones (1 Samuel 17).

None of these were powerful tools of war. They were everyday objects and tools in the hands of faithful people. God loves the overlooked and picks willing hearts to do His will. The real question is not “Do I have enough?” It is “Am I willing to give Him what I’ve got?” So, what ordinary thing has God already put in your hand today?

Through the book of Judges and the book of Ruth, God’s pattern throughout was to raise up unlikely deliverers- the left-handed outcast, oxgoad swinging farmers, tent-peg homemakers, jawbone swinging strongmen- who use ordinary tools in faithful hands to break cycles of oppression. The book of Judges ended in heartbreaking chaos, with everyone doing “what was right in their own eyes,” revealing humanity’s desperate need for a true King. Then comes Ruth- a quiet, hopeful book where the same God of grace turned a Moabite widow’s loyalty and a kinsman-redeemer’s kindness into redemption that led straight to David and ultimately to Jesus. From the Judges’ mess to Ruth’s mercy, the message was clear: God does not need perfect people or powerful weapons- He finds joy in using what we already have, and our surrendering hearts to bring deliverance and hope.

(And hey, since this drops on April 1st - if you're feeling "left out" or underestimated today, maybe God's just setting up the ultimate plot twist, because the biggest surprises usually come from the most unexpected places. Happy April Fools, or should I say, happy divine surprise? )

Today's discussion question: 

None of these were powerful tools of war. They were everyday objects and tools in the hands of faithful people. God loves the overlooked and picks willing hearts to do His will. The real question is not “Do I have enough?” It is “Am I willing to give Him what I’ve got?” So, what ordinary thing has God already put in your hand today?

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