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The name “Shamgar” is taken from a man to whom a total of 42 words is devoted to in the Bible. Shamgar’s story is told in only two verses; Judges 3:31 and Judges 5:6. From only a few words we  learn that God used an unlikely source to impact an entire nation. We know that Shamgar lived about 3000 years ago in the land of Canaan which is called Palestine today. The Bible says that Shamgar “killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad and he also delivered Israel.” Judges 5:6 tells us that he lived in difficult times not unlike the difficulties we face today.

Historically speaking the Philistines would terrorize a people through raiding parties of ten and twenty soldiers. Israel had no military or viable judicial system at the time. Shamgar was a farmer with only a farm tool for a weapon. An ox goad was a wooden pole approximately six to ten feet long with a point on one end and a flat chisel-like iron blade on the other. The point was used to prod the oxen pulling a plow and the blade was used to clean the plow-share. The ox goad would be about six inches around on the blade end. This implement would be fairly awkward to use as a weapon.

What does all of this have to do with our ministry? Jay Strack and Pat Williams wrote a book titled “The Three Success Secrets of Shamgar”. God used that book to impact our lives and move us to begin this ministry. “The Three Success Secrets of Shamgar” are

  1. Start where you are.
  2. Use what you have.
  3. Do what you can.

Shamgar committed all that he had and all that he was to the one true God. God used an ordinary man, an awkward tool, and limited abilities to impact an entire nation. When something is completely given into God’s hand for His use He will cause it to go further than it is supposed to go and do things it is not supposed to do. At Shamgar Ministries our goal is to “Be faithful” to God with what He has given us. We trust that if each day we start where we are, use what we have and do what we can for His glory then He will use us to make a difference in the lives of others.