January 9, 2022

Passage Read: Judges 10-13
Meditation Verses: 13:12-14

Thought

Manoah seems to not believe his wife, that an angel visited her and promised a son. So Manoah asked the Lord to send the angel again, apparently wanting to see for himself. When the angel arrived, he had questions for him, perhaps to test the angel and determine if he was really true. One of the questions was what the child's vocation should be. Interestingly, the angel isn't concerned about that, only that Manoah's wife keep away from grapes and all their produce, that the child could be a Nazirite from birth. Those were the only instructions given regarding the life of the child. Manoah didn't seem to care about those details, he was more concerned about what the boy should do for work. The angel, on the other hand, didn't care about the boy's vocation, but about his standing before God.

Application

It is so natural for us who live in this world to care more about who our children--and even ourselves--are in this world. We want to know what job we should do so we can get the right training. But God cares most about our relationship and standing with Him. He is concerned about what we do to serve Him and relate to Him. We're concerned about making a living and gaining some kind of success in this world. God, of course, is right. I need to be most concerned about my children and their relationship with God. They will find work to do, and whatever they do doesn't really matter, as long as it's not evil. What matters most is whether or not they are living in obedience to the Lord and growing closer to Him.