[I intend to pray for children and families on Thursdays this year. Please join me.]
I have been working my way through the story of Samson in Judges 13-16. If you only know the children’s Sunday School version of his story you know he was very strong because he had long hair. But if you take time to look more deeply, there’s a lot to learn from his story. He’s a fairly complex person – and a good example of how God can choose and use anyone, no matter how flawed.
Today, though, I want to focus on Samson’s parents. A messenger angel of the Lord came to the wife of Manoah, a man of the Israelite tribe of Dan to tell her 1) she was barren and childless (as if she didn’t know already), but 2) she would become pregnant and have a son (surprise!), then 3) she should not eat or drink anything unclean because the boy was to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb, and 4) Samson’s purpose would be to “take the lead” in delivering Israel from their oppressors the Philistines.
I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot to absorb.
So the woman went to her husband and told him about the angel’s message. In response, he prayed and asked God to send an angel to teach them how to parent this boy. When the angel arrived, Manoah asked, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?”
I don’t know about you, but I’m fairly impressed with his desire to seek God’s guidance in parenting this child. To be the parents of Nazarite children meant to have serious dietary and lifestyle restrictions. Obviously, though, Samson’s parents were spiritually mature enough to know what was expected, but humble enough to ask for help in fulfilling these expectations. Praying and seeking God’s help to understand “the rule that governs the boy’s life and work” shows they were Believers who genuinely wanted to serve God.
I will continue to explore the story of Samson in future posts, but for now, let’s pray that we, too, will seek God as we raise our physical and spiritual children and grandchildren.
God,
Thank you for choosing us to be your children and for giving us guidelines, boundaries, callings, and purposes. Thank you for the gifts and blessings of our children, created by you for good works in Christ Jesus. Thank you for examples like Samson’s parents who show us how to seek you and your Kingdom as we raise our physical and spiritual children. Help us to seek you and grow in our spiritual maturity and humility, yet, serve you as we seek the “rule that governs” our lives and those whom we are raising. Holy Spirit, help us to aim these “arrows” of young people in the right direction and release them with intention, courage, and grace so that they honor you with their lives and never depart from your Truth and Abundant Life. We ask in the strong name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
“The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him…” (Judges 13:24-25 NIV)
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)
“Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.” (Psalm 127: 3-5 NIV)
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 NIV)
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 KJV)