Devotionals by Raul Ries

TUESDAY April 21, 2026

Faith That Conquers Fear

For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak....
Hebrews 11:32

Barak was a mighty man of valor. Alongside Deborah, the only woman Judge of Israel, Barak fought against King Jabin and his captain, Sisera. The Canaanite King had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had oppressed the children of Israel for twenty, long years. They were so downtrodden that not even a shield or spear was seen among them. Regular village life had ceased, and people were afraid (Judges 4:1-5).

Deborah was also a prophetess. God spoke to her, and she encouraged Barak to go to battle. God had revealed to her that He would deliver His people. By faith, Barak gathered 10,000 men to fight against the captain of Jabin’s army. On Barak’s request, Deborah, as the nation’s Judge, went with him into battle (Judges 4:6-10). How did God give them the victory?

In Judges 5, in the song of Deborah, she sang of God’s divine intervention in the warfare against Sisera: “They fought from heaven, the stars from their courses fought against Sisera. The torrent of Kishon swept them away, that ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!” (Judges 5:20-21).

However, the Lord chose to use Jael, a Kenite woman, to cause the final demise of Sisera. He fled into her tent to escape capture. She lulled him to sleep by giving him milk and a blanket to warm himself. While Sisera was in a deep sleep, Jael took a tent peg, and drove it right through his temple with a hammer, killing him.

In the end, Jabin, king of Canaan, was destroyed, and the people had 40 years of peace (Judges 4:17-23). Barak was named a hero in the hall of faith because God used him mightily. By faith, he conquered Israel’s enemies, helped bring peace, and quenched the people’s fears.

If you have a tendency to be fearful, your faith in God can help you overcome it. Fear God, not men. Remember, God can use the host of heaven to come to your aid.

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and they that lack the beginning have neither middle nor end.
~John Bunyan~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!