Othniel: Ordinary Man, Extraordinary God | Judges 3:9-11

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Our text today is Judges 3:9-11

But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. — Judges 3:9-11

What happens when God’s Spirit fills an ordinary man?

Israel cried out. And God answered—not with an army, but with a man.

Othniel wasn’t flashy. He wasn’t famous. He was Caleb’s younger brother, living in the shadow of a great warrior. Yet when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, everything changed.

Notice the shift:

Israel cried.
God raised.
The Spirit empowered.
Victory came.
Peace followed.
This is God’s pattern. He takes an ordinary man, fills him with his Spirit, and uses him to deliver his people.

Never underestimate what God can do through you when his Spirit fills you. You don’t need the perfect résumé, the loudest voice, or the sharpest skills. What you need is surrender to God’s Spirit.

The battles you face aren’t won by sheer grit but by God’s Spirit working through you. Othniel’s story reminds us: victory doesn’t rest on the size of the man, but on the strength of the God in the man.

ASK THIS:

When was the last time I cried out to God for deliverance instead of trying to fix things myself?
Do I believe God’s Spirit can work powerfully through me right now?
What keeps me from full surrender to God’s Spirit?
Where in my life do I need to step forward in faith like Othniel?
DO THIS:

Today, pray specifically for the Spirit of the Lord to empower you in one area where you feel weak—and then take one step of faith into that battle.

PRAY THIS:
Holy Spirit, fill me today. Use me, like you used Othniel, to bring your victory and your peace where I cannot on my own. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
"Same God."