Grab a Tent Peg

Judges 4:21

“Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.”

Jael was doing exactly what she was supposed to be doing. She was minding her tent, her home.

In the middle of a war zone, there was peace in her home.

Until the fight showed up on her doorstep.

She could’ve, very easily, given Sisera what he wanted, kept herself safe, and not rocked the boat. After all, shouldn’t someone else be here to protect her and everything that was hers?

Her safest option would’ve been to not engage Sisera. However, if she would’ve chosen safety, she would’ve lost her home. She would’ve spread out a welcome mat for the enemy and simply handed him the keys to her home.

She could’ve pointed fingers, and claimed that this wasn’t her “responsibility.”

But in reality, she knew that no one was responsible for keeping the enemy out of her home, except her. This was her tent.

She wasn’t waiting on the preacher, a Sunday school teacher, a youth group leader, or anyone else to come and war for her home. She had to be victorious inside her tent before she would ever see victory outside it!

She took care of the enemy in her home.

She didn’t let him take over.

She used what she had, and took him out.

She wasn’t waiting on someone else to do it.

She didn’t point fingers because no one else was there to help.

She took responsibility for her tent.

She wanted to see victory.

And she knew that wasn’t possible until there was victory inside her own tent. Your home’s defense is in your hands.

There will be no public victory when there is no victory in your home.

Don’t spread out a welcome mat for the enemy.

Don’t cower before him.

Stand tall.

This home is yours.

Grab a tent peg.