Checkmate

      

Carefully she moves her piece across the board

Breathing in, she awaits his turn

She watches the effort he puts forth

Winning is everything to him, defining.

He calculates little before his move,

his interests vested in other pleasures

Blinded by pride he proceeds carelessly   

with smug demeanor, anticipating triumph.

She takes her last turn, slides her piece slowly into place

And rises to announce

check mate.

She. is. done.

Photo cred:@Hailey Lesage

Judges 3: 15 . . .When the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer.

Just when you think your opponent has an advantage - perhaps even won, God will come to your aid with the full weight of justice each and every time you've been wronged; he takes note when unjust actions cause hurt or pain on the innocent.  God hears every cry, and balances the scales of fairness and retribution accordingly. At His time. As He sees fit. 

There are times when we find ourselves in situations where our disobedience or willfulness has grieved God to the point of disciplinary action, as he did with the Israelites. Time and again they danced around obedience, toeing the line then abandoning commandments, statutes, and teachings - offering oblations to other gods and intermarrying after the Lord had told them not to. 

However, our heavenly Father is true to himself and despite recurring acts of sinfulness, when the Israelites cried out in desperation, he continued to show forgiveness, mercy, and grace. 

Consider the story of King Eglon, he ruled over Moab. He smote Israel, enslaving them eighteen for years. Yes, this was due to their own poor choices, however, there is something about the repentant cry of a wounded heart that bends the ear of God like nothing else. God heard the pleas of his people and sought to settle the score. 

Chosen by the Israelites and saddled with a gift, for King Eglon, Ehud had been instructed by God on how to bring Israel a reprieve. Scripture doesn't offer details of the Israelites' gift to King Eglon, however, Ehud used this opportunity to his advantage. 

Perhaps King Eglon thought his meeting with Ehud would further set him further apart from the rest of kings in the land, honoring him - promoting him. Maybe in his own mind King Eglon thought he couldn’t be overtaken, or that he’d already triumphed. But that’s where the story turns.  

Ehud gave the king his present from Israelites then turned and offered his own. 

It had never occurred to King Eglon that God would use Ehud's unlikely ‘gift’ to accomplish his will and grant peace to the Israelites for another eighty years!

 My friend, if you’re struggling right now, remember God uses the unusual to surprise our enemy and bring us victory . . . just like the surprise ‘Checkmate’ from a left handed swordsman named Ehud.