Judges 11:1 Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute.

God used Jephthah despite how his family perceived him and his origins. It doesn’t matter where you come from or how your family looks like, God has a purpose for your life, and you can live in full victory in God.

Jephthah’s family denied him of any inheritance because he was the son of another woman; in other words conceived out of wedlock. Even though the way Jephthah came to this earth made him not good enough for his family, he was more than enough to be a mighty warrior for God. Therefore, don’t let the people around you decide whether you are worthy enough to be used by God; Jesus is the one who has the last words over your life!

Later in the passage, the same community that drove Jephthah out of his father’s house needed his help to conquer the Ammonites. And, Jephthah will indeed become head commander over his people and triumphed over the Ammonites. Today we can learn four things from Jephthah’s life: 

1. Know who you are in God: Jephthah didn’t allow the world around him to define his identity. His own family hated him, but he chose not to hate himself and trusted God instead. The world around you has a lot to say about who you should be, and sometimes they are good things; however, I pray that you allow God to be the only one to have the final words over who He created you to be.
   
2. Know your story, know God’s words: after the Ammonite king claimed that the Israelites were living on their land, Jephthah replied with an elaborated account of the way God had walked with his ancestors. Jephthah knew his story; he remembered what God had done for him and his people. At first, you would think: why did Jephthah learn about the inheritance of the people of Israel and they are the same people who denied him? Jephthah saw beyond the people! Your legacy is not only what your earthly family can give you but the relationship you have with Jesus; it is essential to remember who is the reason for your success.
   
3. Remember that God is the reason for your success: Judges 11:32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. You are who you are, and where you are because of God’s mighty hands over your life; don’t ever forget that!
   
4. Obey God even with hard decisions: Now this is always the hard part. We praise God because today, we don’t have to make sacrifices like Jephthah’s because Jesus Christ already died for us, and He was the perfect sacrifice. However, to grow our relationship with Jesus, there are many other things that we need to let go intentionally. For instance, our idea of a perfect life, our time, relationships, finances, and at the end of the day, our first purpose is to bring glory to God.

“You are chosen by God.”
“Keep at heart all the promises that God has spoken over your life.”
“Remember that God is always with you.”
“Stay obedient to God and his words.”