Who is your Deborah? - You need someone who's got your back!

I once heard someone say, "If I have your back, you never need to look behind you." I like that! I lived by that in the streets. If I was your friend, you never needed to wonder if I had your back. I'd be there for you without question. That worked well for a while, until the night I was shot behind Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC. That night made me start to wonder who REALLY had my back.

The one who has your back is your protector, your coverer. They don't let anything sneak up on you.

Who's Deborah? Shame on you! One of only 3 people in the history of Israel to hold the combined offices of prophet, judge, and military leader. The other 2 are Moses and Samuel. "What was that?" "Women can't do what?"

When Deborah brought the word of the Lord to General Barak that he should mount up and ride on those busta Canaanites, Barak said, "Only one way that's gonna happen baby girl... you gotta ride shotgun." He needed a real ride-or-die sister to have his back.

Judges 4:

8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go.9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you."

Why do you need a Deborah?

1. Because people will stab you in the back. Especially when you are good, gifted, anointed, and have God intentions. Enemies will raise up even from the ranks of friends. The O'Jays put it like this:

A few of your buddies they sure look shady
Blades are long, clenched tight in their fist
Aimin' straight at your back
And I don't think they'll miss.
They smile in your face,
All the time they want to take your place,
The back stabbers...

Len Sweet notes that "the church seems to be especially rampant and flamboyant about its friendly fire." So much of resistance in churches today comes from folk who don't want to change. So while you are trying to move the church forward, they're digging in their heels behind you trying to hold you back. Well, you better have a Deborah behind you fending them off if you want to make any progress.

2. Sometimes your Deborah isn't riding along side you physically because he/she's busy praying for you. Your Deborah knows that all enemies aren't made of flesh and blood, and knows that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God...

Pastor Alister Begg tells the story of the "boiler room" in the lower level of Charles Spurgeon's church. It wasn't an actual boiler room, but a lower level of the church where prayer warriors gathered during every service to cover their pastor in prayer. That's serious rear coverage!

3. You don't have eyes in the back of your head. Since you can't see every attack, you need a Deborah to keep watch when you're not looking.

A good Deborah is a CYB, not a CYA. I had a Deborah who I thought had my back until I realized that she used her relationship with me to get the spotlight she coveted for herself. I'm not even sure that she was fully aware of her need to shine until the day the knives came out of the sheaths for me and I saw her fall in with the enemy ranks. She looked innocent enough falling back, but I could see in her eyes that she knew she was leaving me to fend for myself. Maybe she was deceived because it was friendly fire. I'm not sure... BUT from that day on, whenever she's supposed to have my back, I keep my hand on my gun. Metaphorically of course.

My advice, get as many Deborah's as you can, then look for one more.

Written by Frederick A Hanna