Judges 13:12, "And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?”

Today's verse finds Manoah, the father of Samson, asking the angel of the LORD prior to Samson's birth for additional clarification of what the angel had already spoken to Manoah's wife. She was told they would have a male child, and he would be a Nazarite. God would prepare and use Samson to be a Judge over Israel and bring an end to the tyranny of the Philistines.

I appreciate Manoah's heart to make sure he understands what the LORD wanted, and what God's expectation was for Samson. So many times parents fail to seek the Lord's direction about what God desires in the life of the family and their children. We need to remain open to the fact that God may have special plans for you and your family.

Manoah's desire was to make sure he understood, how the child was to be brought up (as a Nazarite), and what the child should do (begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines).

As parents and grandparents, we should be wise as to how the Lord wants us to raise our children, and be prayerful and open about God's will for their lives. God does have a plan for each of us, and it is important that we know His plan.

May we meditate today upon the truth of Ephesians 5:17-18, "...be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. [18] And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."

Be sensitive to God's will for you and your family.

Your Friend and HIS,

Pastor Abbott

QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. How do you pray for your family? Are you faithful in praying for them?

2. What considerations have you made concerning God's will for you and your family?

3. How do you help your children to grow spiritually?

4. What lessons have you learned from Manoah's desire to make certain he understood God's will for Samson?

5. Are you living in God's will? Justify your answer.

Seeking God's Direction