I have always wanted to need glasses. While my peers growing up feared being called “four eyes” as a result of their impaired vision, I teemed with jealousy over their newest accessory. While I’m, of course, very grateful for my 20/20 vision, I secretly fear reading glasses will no longer be in style when I actually (fingers crossed) need them one day.
When it comes to this life, I think we all secretly hope that there’s more than meets the eye, that we aren’t quite seeing the full truth just yet. When we experience pain we don’t understand and our circumstances don’t turn out the way we’d hoped, we try to analyze things from all angles. “How did this happen? Did I miss something? How could I have avoided all this suffering?” Wouldn’t it be a huge relief to look through a viewfinder and have someone adjust things until they appear more clearly, until we’re able to make sense of what we see?
All throughout the book of Judges, it’s obvious that Israel was blinded by their own sin. In fact, this ominous phrase occurs once again in today’s reading: “The Israelites again did what was evil in the LORD’s sight” (Judges 13:1). Israel had come to trust only what their own eyes could see.
Imagine the surprise Manoah and his wife must have felt when, after years of barrenness, the angel of the Lord announced that they would have a son. It’s doubtful they saw this blessed, yet baffling, news coming. Many questions followed: How can this be? What will the boy’s responsibilities and work be? What is this angel’s name who has brought us this great news? While they didn’t receive answers to those questions, the angel’s instruction made it clear that this son was to be set apart (vv.4–5).
Clearly, there was more at work than what their human eyes could see. Samson’s impending birth was an introduction to the birth of new possibilities they never could have dreamt up for themselves, an unexpected form of redemption, bringing God’s heart a little more into focus.
As God’s children, this is where we can settle our trust: Christ’s coming keeps us focused on hope. The gospel is our viewfinder. Even if all the other details of life seem blurry and unknown, we know we can put our trust in Jesus. May we view this story and our own as just a small piece of the grander reality of God’s great plan for His people.
WE are all part of God‘s plan, you and I sweet She’s. I am so glad He chose all of us to be here together even though most likely, on the side of heaven, we will never meet one another, but we will all see each other in our heavenly home someday. I’m so glad He chose us all to be here. I’m grateful for all of you. I’m grateful we can come and pour our hearts out and lift one another up in prayer. I look forward to meeting with all of you every morning all around the world with coffee or tea in hand. Happy Tuesday sweet She’s.
Some things that stood out to me in this reading today – the relationship between Manoah and his wife seemed to be a good one. They shared with each other and discussed things, that’s good! They also seemed to have a good relationship with God – Once Manoah heard the news, he prayed, also good! They also seem to balance each other out. When Manoah reacted in the moment – “We are doomed to die!” His wife had the where with all to remind him – if God meant to kill us He wouldn’t have accepted our offering or shown us and told us all these things. I laughed to myself as I read Judges 13:22-23, when Manoah lost sight for a moment of what had just occurred, God used his wife to “knock some sense” into him! God often uses our spouses to do that very thing in our own lives. Thankful today for my husband and for our marriage.
@A Walton – praying for your house situation and for your trip to the states. From one ministry wife to another – life can be very overwhelming at times, especially when the details seem blurry and unknown. May God give you rest and peace as you seek His will and may His blessings abound as you continue to serve Him. ❤️
Have a blessed Tuesday – lifting all your requests in prayer.
Amen! Stealing your prayer this morning for my own boys.❤️
We were postig at the same time, SEARCHING, you saw the “I am.” Statement too. You put it so eloquently!
A WALTON… thanks for bringing us up to speed. Continued prayers for your family… ALEIDA… thanks for the update on Victor. You never know about that job with Lexus and the interview. Keep us posted… And, yay TINA, that Lorenzo is home.
Lord bless all my sisters in the ways that they need, and as you see fit. Your will be done!
Did you notice the “I am.” statement in Judges 13:13? I did. Wow.
As many of us have been wrestling with the whole Jephthah and his daughter thing, I was hit with this line from today’s devotion…
“Even if all the other details of life seem blurry and unknown, we know we can put our trust in Jesus.” Even if I struggle to understand, I need to remember what (who) is most important, and seek His will for my life, as I live it for Him.
Have a beautiful day, sweet sisters.
Although we are not told the name of Samson’s mother/Manoah’s wife, she shows us faith, belief and trust in what she is told by the Lord. Manoah believes her although wants additional information (not provided to him). When he panics at having seen the Lord, she draws his attention back to the Lord’s words and purpose.
Am I (are we) standing firm in faith, belief and trust in God’s words? Sharing with others? Reminding others (and ourselves) that God does indeed see the overall picture and has a plan for each of our lives?
In Judges 13:11, the reply to Manoah’s question is “I am.” My first thought when I read this – God’s name is I AM. The reply could have been a simple “yes” …
In Judges 13:18 (NKJV), And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” Other translations replace wonderful with beyond your understanding, incomprehensible. Indeed He is! Isaiah 9:6b “And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Thankful for His love and His word as a guide to the beginning of understanding. This hymn comes to mind “His Name is Wonderful”
Praying for:
GRAMSIESUE – healing and relief of pain for Steve, resources to assist you with his care
ALEIDA – Victor
RHONDA J – pain relief
JENNY SOMERS – wisdom and guidance
A WALTON – thank you for update (KELLY NEO is awesome!) praying for travel safety, car repair and sorting out the house situation
AIMEE D-R
TERESA DONLEY
LYNNE FROM AL
NANCY S
LINDA FROM NC
LAUREN GW
MERCY ❤️ keep praying, sister!
FOSTER MAMA – thankful for the time you were able to spend with children this weekend
CEE GEE ❤️
SHARON JERSEY GIRL, GRAMSIESUE – thank you for sharing research
TINA – thankful Lorenzo is home
MICHELLE PATIRE – yes, good reading in Proverbs yesterday
ADRIENNE – thank you for the reminder to go to the Lord FIRST. The sometimes rampant misunderstandings catch me off guard …
TINA, thank you for the encouragement this morning. My husband and I are trying to navigate vocational changes that feel very confusing and foggy. Most days we feel like we have no idea what we’re doing and are just throwing things out there and seeing what sticks. It’s a hard in between, knowing that God has great plans for us but having no real idea what they might be. We have 4 children, finances are tight, and I’m finding myself trying to take matters into my own hands and “fix” this whole situation quickly, without truly waiting on the Lord. Thank you for reminding me that God always has our best at heart. You are a gift.
Thankful that even when I “Again do evil in the eyes of the Lord”, that He never gives up on me and he never gives up on you. <3 So thankful we have Jesus as our hope, our anchor, our guide and that God has a perfect plan for our lives. May we have eyes to see and hearts to trust and obey.
Lifting up all the prayer requests <3