Judges 13

So I shared devotions in staff meeting today.  I thought I could share with you as well.  Lindy and I have been reading through the book of Judges and we just got to chapter 13.  The little sub-heading for the section is entitled "The Birth of Samson".  Now Samson was and still is a great name in the Old Testament.  It is recognized very widely.  In reading this chapter though, The focus is not so much on him, but like most births, it is on his parents.  It says in v. 2 that the wife of Manoah (Samson's father) has been barren.  And an Angel of the LORD appears to her and tells her that she is going to conceive a son.  At this point, she has to be really excited. Probably soaking up every word the angel is sharing with her. He goes on to command her to keep from wine and strong drink and to eat nothing unclean.  He says that no razor shall come to his head for the child shall be a Nazirite. (See Numbers 6)

She goes and shares this with her husband, who prays and asks the Lord to send the angel again so that he might hear what they are to do with the boy once he is born.  The Angel returns and tells him the same thing he told the mother.  The Angel didn't share what Manoah was looking to hear, he just shared what had already been shared with the mother-to-be.

It is sometimes hard to understand what we need to take away from a passage like this, but in asking the Lord to open my eyes to this passage, I saw something that applies to every level of our faith, from very personal to very corporate.

On a personal level, when God reveals something to us through His spirit, it is not our place to seek out what the future of that might look like, it is our place to simply obey.  I know for myself it can be hard not to want to question every aspect of the decision.

On a relational level, either in ministry or in the home, workplace or wherever, God gifts each of us to do what He has called us to do.  I was not gifted to do what my co-worker does, and vice-versa.  We are each part of the body and it takes all parts to make it work.  In this situation, Manoah wanted to know what the future had for he and his family.  I enjoy watching "Heroes" on Monday nights.  One of the powers that is present in the show is the ability to see the future.  When those who possess this ability see the future, they try to manipulate the present to change the future they saw.  I think sometimes God holds back from us everything, because it isn't always what we would choose for ourselves.  Thankfully, what He has for us is so much better.

Finally on a corporate level, I think there is something to take away for church leaders who are challenged with where the next step for their church will be.  While it is important to not overstep what God is calling you to, trusting in Him to lead the way is what He has called all of us to do. Proverbs 3:5 says as much: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean to your own understanding."

We can all do better at breaking free from the need for our own knowledge and trust that He will lead us to a place where we can glorify Him and serve Him in the most effective way possible.

What is God calling you to do?  Is the Spirit speaking to you today?  Are you in a place where you are uncertain of the future?