The precise identity and location of the town of Meroz are unclear, but it was an Israelite town that chose to sit out the battle. It wasn't simply that they didn't come to the aid of Deborah and Barak-Meroz is cursed because they did not come ″to help the Lord″ (Judges 5:23).

The Lord does not need our help. But He desires it. Going to war was aligning oneself with the cause of the King. The volunteering tribes knew they were helping the Lord, and, in doing so, they were serving the Lord. When you feel frustration, discouragement, bitterness, or complacency settling in, stop and remind yourself that you are not doing it for people-you are doing it for your Saviour. Do you view your service like that-as an act of love done for the Lord? When you adopt that perspective on service, it has a revolutionary impact on your life.

We should seek to emulate the motivation of the volunteers (v. 31). They were the righteous part of the nation who, in a day of apostasy, knew what it was to love God.

When our hearts belong to God, we begin to serve Him enthusiastically, spontaneously, and freely. It is not the quantity of our service that is really decisive, but the quality of our relationship with the Lord. Love for Jesus Christ produces service befitting the King.

A giving, volunteering spirit also produces a joyful heart. Deborah and these volunteers are singing because they know the joy of giving to the Lord. Joy in a believer's life is never simply a product of receiving. It is the result of giving themselves to the Lord and knowing the overflow of His love in their lives.

The children of Israel had a most unusual rule of war: ″Is anyone afraid or faint-hearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too″ (Deuteronomy 20:8). How do you think that rule would work in our society? But God was trying to teach His people an important lesson. ″I want volunteers in my army, people who will serve me freely, eagerly, and spontaneously.″

That is what He says to us today. In fact, we can capture the theme of Deborah's song by adopting the familiar words of 2 Corinthians 9:7: ″Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.″ Does that describe your spirit in your service? Jesus is looking for people with the committed hearts of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali. Are you rushing into battle at your Saviour's heels?