When Jephthah is approached by the leaders of the people who had earlier rejected him to be the commander of the Israelite forces, there must have been a huge sense of vindication. But he is not too flattered to miss the fact that they had only offered him the position of ″commander″ (Judges 11: 6). Besides, he is still too angry and bitter about the way they had treated him to simply jump at the opportunity (v. 7).

There is an opportunistic streak in Jephthah, and he is fully prepared to take advantage of the situation for his purposes. He pushes for more (v. 9), and by the time the conversation ends, the elders have offered him the position of ″head″, both political and military leader (v. 10). It marks the third stage of Jephthah's development-from outlaw to leader. But although we are told that Jephthah enters into this role ″before the LORD at Mizpah″ (v. 11), it appears that this is nothing more than religious ceremonialism. Once again, the pattern repeats itself: the Lord is left out of their decisions. Nonetheless, God's sovereign plan will be fulfilled.

There is something to be learnt, however, from Jephthah's emergence (though perhaps not from his demands). This was not a position for which he had applied or worked, or to which he aspired. But, in God's own time, a door opened, and Jephthah was elevated to the position God had purposed for him.

Similarly, we do not need to create opportunities for service on our own; it is God's job to open doors. Our responsibility is to be fully involved and invested in the place where we find ourselves, doing the will of God wherever He has placed us and learning the lessons He is teaching us.

As a young man, preacher and writer, Charles Spurgeon was pondering his future after he lost a valuable opportunity to enter a prestigious university as a result of someone else's mistake. Deeply discouraged, he was replaying the events through his mind when he sensed the Holy Spirit telling him: ″Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them″ (Jeremiah 45:5).

″At that moment,″ he said, ″I realised I would never go to Cambridge, and I would never amount to anything more than preaching to a congregation of 200 people.″ He committed himself to doing God's will, and six months later, through an unexpected chain of events, the 19-year-old found himself pastoring and preaching to 2,500 people every Sunday in London. That happened because he was willing to allow God to open doors in his life and to be faithful wherever he was at the time.

Live enthusiastically for God in the present, and He will concern himself with your future.