Judges 4:4  Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. (NIV)

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Little Debbie was smarter, better, faster than the men of her day. Her lapdog husband was no leader. Gen. Barak and his buddies knew where they stood. Big Bad Barak wouldn’t dare make a move without Deb. 

Smart boy.

Jael (pronounced Yǒ-el) was a problem solver who solved every problem with a hammer. Sisera never checked her for weapons. He asked for water. She gave him curdled milk. He died in his sleep when he discovered he couldn’t roll over. 

Sometimes, hero songs and movies are about babes* who bark, bite, and beat others into submission. (*Please forgive this insulting title used by little bros who live with comic book fantasy mindsets.)

Check out Judges 5 for an in-your-face bad-girl ballad. Verse 2 begins

“When the princes in Israel take the lead, 
when the people willingly offer themselves— 
praise the Lord!”

I’m guessing the same is true of princesses. Debbie took the lead, and Jael offered herself willingly. They got the job done. They started the wild rumpus and finished it, too.

Maybe leadership is more about God’s gifts and aptitude, and don’t forget opportunity, than gender. 

Who are the women in your life who deserve a song or a movie? My list is pretty long. I dare not begin naming names like Katie, Paula, Melissa, and Becky. There is no way in the world I could start naming them all without running out of time and space. 

Just know that my two grandmothers were walking home from the grocery store one day when a young man took one of my grandmothers’ purses. My well-aged grandmother, all five feet and ninety pounds of her, took off after the young thug. It truly is not the size of the dog in the fight, is it?

Smart men exalt tough women. And don’t call her Little Debbie. Deborah (like the aforementioned Melissa) means Bee. Honey bees produce the most delightful sweetener. Bees also pack quite a sting. Enjoy the sweetness, and avoid the ouch.

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I will exalt the gifts and achievements of women who honor God and serve others.

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Our Father, thank you for recording Deborah and Jael’s stories. Thank you for the women around us every day who live heroic lives and are far too often unsung. Amen.