30 More Days... Day 9

Judg. 13:8  Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”
Judg. 13:9  And God listened to the voice of Manoah

If there was ever a problem child I guess you could probably say it was Samson. There were few children who had more potential, and who were a bigger disappointment than the man, Samson. It is not that Samson was a terrible person. It is not that he didn’t believe in God or that he lived less obediently than the average child of God. He had things in life that he struggled with. He made some poor choices. He struggled, at times, with sin. Which of these things do any of us not see in our own lives at places and times. But we are not looking at Samson...

We are looking at his parents. We see a couple with no children. There is more than once in the Bible that God comes to childless parents and tells them they will have a child of promise. I wonder if God doesn’t do this because He knows that the parents will often be all the more willing to “lend” the child to the Lord. This was the case with Manoah and his wife.

The Angel of the Lord appears to Manoah’s wife. He tells her that she will have a son and gives her some very specific instructions concerning herself. The instructions are the laws of the Nazarite. The child will be dedicated to God. Even before his birth, God has set him apart. The wife reports all of this to Manoah and we see Manoah’s prayer.

Again it is a simple, faithful and fervent prayer, and God hears and answers. The son to be born will be a special child. It is already clear that God has a specific purpose for this little one. Manoah is struck by the depth of responsibility that this entails. So he prays to God. He wants God himself to teach them how they can rear such a child and what God’s desire is for him.

It is great to know that God listens to us. Over and over we see people praying and we see God answering. Nothing is too small. Nothing is too big. God is ready to listen to His people. There is little that is more difficult than rearing a child. Our sin natures make sure of that fact. In fact, there are probably few parents, teachers or those that work with children in some capacity that don’t feel the difficulty and the responsibility that comes along with rearing up and teaching children. How appropriate it is then that we would follow Manoah’s example and pray for instruction and wisdom.

It is even more encouraging then, that God listens to such prayers. God has announced His intention for Samson. God has given instructions. God is also ready to come and teach and repeat those instructions. What are those instructions? They are that Manoah’s wife should be careful to observe all that had been commanded her. We really see nothing new in what the Angel of the Lord said when He appears the second time. They are given no new information. However, God is confirming to them their responsibility as parents to watch what they do. They are to be models in their lives for the child. It is interesting that God doesn’t mention so much what they are to have the child do as much as He mentions what they should do. God calls them to faithfulness and to teach Samson by example. They should not be as concerned with the rules they lay down for the boy as much as they should be concerned with how they themselves obey.

We see parents then that are concerned with their child. They pray faithfully to know how to rear him. They instruct him in the right ways. They, it seems, are faithful examples before him. Yet, we see the life of Samson and all that he does, especially those things that he shouldn’t do. Here we have an example of parents that seem to do all that they can do and yet, they see their child going his own way when he grows. I am sure that it broke their hearts. Still, they are faithful to help, instruct, correct and love their son even in their disappointments. Samson was probably not the son they had dreamed, hoped and prayed that he would be, though they trained him up and instructed him in the way he should go. However, in the end Samson despite all his faults, failings and fallings, stands in the power, strength and Spirit of God.

It is so encouraging to know that God hears and listens to our prayer and is ready to come and give, or repeat, to us all of His desire for us. It is wonderful to know that He is ready to teach us the how and what of life. He answers and instructs what we should do. He does this so that we and those around us might walk in His ways.

Prayer Request
* Prayer for Greg & Marcella Dill & Family. They are considering where God might be calling them to serve. The are considering Slovenia as a possible place of service. Currently, they are looking to become a part of PIONEERS and will attend Candidate Orientation in October. Pray for them as the get to know PI better (and vise-versa) and consider where God is leading them. Pray that God would lead them to the right place and right team - the place to which He is calling them. As we are building a team here in Slovenia we are praying that God would bring just the right people to grow and compliment the work here. Please join us in praying for that as well.