A Mother's Call To Obey God
Scripture Reading - Judges 13:1-7, 24-25 (NIV)
“Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’”...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 [within] him…”
Introductory Remarks:
It’s simple: When we trust God, we obey God. We do what God says when God says to do it. In doing so, God’s law of love is fulfilled, and God’s promises are manifested.
When our trust lies elsewhere, we disobey God; lean on our own misguided understanding and experience more trouble than we can handle.
The unnamed mother in today’s scripture wastes no time: she sets an intention to follow God’s instruction and immediately tells her husband of God’s requirements so that, together, they can obey.
Major Points of the Lesson:
- God’s promises are true, but you must be ‘true’ to the promises if they are to be fulfilled. Joshua 1:8
- Being ‘true’ means:
- Acting in obedience on God’s timetable, not yours. Psalm 119:60
- Obedient Action is not enough. The condition of your heart matters. Psalm 119:30
- Obedient Actions based on faith in God will enable you to stand, even if there is a flood, distraction or delay. Matthew 7:24-27
- Unlimited blessings, including prosperity and success, flow when you hear and obey. Luke 11:28
Quote:
“I have found that life is difficult when you walk the path of disobedience: according to your will instead of God’s way. My mantra in all these things is this: ‘I just want to do what God says to do. I pray to do it quickly.” Sheila McKeithen
Assignment:
Answer this question: Are you walking in obedience or disobedience? If you are walking in disobedience, what are you going to do about that?