How Being a Minor Can Be Major

The Judges with short tenures are sometimes referred to as minor judges. To my mind there's nothing minor about them but because their time in leadership was uneventful or nothing much is written about them they have been relegated to this status. In addition to the three mentioned today, the other minors were Shamgar, Tola, and Jair.

After Jephthah, we have:
Judge/Deliverer/Leader #10 - Ibzan (Judges 12:8-10). Ibzan had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He sent his daughters to marry men outside his clan, and he brought in thirty young women from outside his clan to marry his sons. Ibzan judged Israel for 7 years.

Judge/Deliverer/Leader #11 - Elon (Judges 12:11-12) After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel for 10 years.

Judge/Deliverer/Leader #12 - Abdon (Judges 12:13-15) He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel for 8 years.

These judges are like us. Sometimes in life we may feel that what we're doing is unimportant yet during our tenure there's deliverance, peace, growth, prosperity, faith, salvation and it's important no matter how much others minimize it. Mothers wrestle with this feeling especially when it seems that nothing is sinking in. Employees wrestle with this feeling when it seems like they're the low man on the totem pole. This feeling of insignificance is just that a feeling, not a reality. For no matter how insignificant we feel God made you and He said you're significant. You may have ten children or two. You may drive a hooptie or a BMW. You may live in a small house or a mansion. You may be from a large country or a small island. These are the things that create division between us but in God's eyes, the most important thing is you and he wants you, and hopefully, you want him too. All of us have a part to play and everyone is not meant to be a huge star.

But there are huge stars and everyone thinks bigger is better. Even in the book of Judges the characters that are magnified had their share of problems. Big or small we all wrestle with handling what has been given to us successfully. We all struggle, sometimes we're fearful and even doubtful. We've seen it all so far in the book of Judges; the ordinary juxtaposed with the extraordinary.

Regardless of our status let's remember to serve God with what we have; with a heart of humility and obedience. There's a blessing in the ordinary. You matter.

Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. Isaiah 43:4

Are you struggling with feelings of insignificance? Remember it's a feeling, not a reality.

--Nylse

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