SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT FOR TODAY (August 22, 2013)

“So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol” Judges 13:24-25.

Memory Verse:

“BUT WHEN THE TIME HAD FULLY COME, GOD SENT HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN, BORN UNDER THE LAW TO REDEEM THOSE UNDER THE LAW THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE FULL RIGHTS OF SONS” Galatians 4:4.

Manoah and his wife had no child until they had an encounter with the Angel of the LORD. After the angel had left them, the Bible tells us that the woman had a son and named him Samson. But this does not mean that Samson was born in an extraordinary manner. His mother became pregnant for nine months and had a normal delivery. Samson’s parents needed a son who would inherit their estate and keep the family name. At the same time the nation of Israel needed a deliverer to redeem them from the oppression of the Philistines and it was at that point of need that the LORD gave them Samson.

Manoah and his wife had no idea how they were going to become parents. Israel as a nation also did not know how they were going to be delivered from their oppression. Yet the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY had plans for Manoah as an individual and Israel as a nation. Eventually God gave Manoah’s wife a son, which signifies his importance to the family and the nation as a whole. God also blessed him so he grew well in stature just as Luke recorded concerning the child Jesus in Luke 2:52. Samson was also filled with the power of the Holy Spirit right from his infancy. This shows the special place of Samson in the life of his family and nation as a whole. The Circumstances concerning his birth can best be linked to that of Jesus Christ who was sent by the Father at a time the world needed a redeemer. God gave Samson to Israel even though they had not asked for a deliverer as we saw in the case of Gideon and Jephthah. This goes to show how much concern God was for his people.

Many of us have been called ‘poor and needy’, ‘the sick’ or ‘barren’, even though they are not our real names. The circumstances we find ourselves in have become our names. Everybody knows us to be poor or barren or suffering from chronic sicknesses. I just want to remind somebody today that barrenness is not your name; neither is poverty.

What you are experiencing has been so long that you are beginning to think it cannot be changed. I just want you to know it can. It is just a temporary condition. It is about to change soon because god loves and remembers you. He has not forgotten of you. The Lord God who remembered the world in our state of sin and also remembered Manoah’s family in their barren condition still remembers you. You are going to have your own child; your own accommodation; your own job; your own spouse; freedom from debts and diseases, etc. The time to receive what you have been waiting for is now. Just get ready for your miracle because the Angel of the Lord is visiting God’s people.

The only requirement to enjoy this miracle is faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Many Christians expect things from God but lack the faith in the Lord and keep wavering in their minds. Many continue to doubt whether God can respond to their needs after fasting and praying for a long time.

I want to say that if you do not have faith, just stop praying to God because you are wasting your time and energy. According to James 1:6-7, the one who doubts after asking should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.

May the Lord increase our faith as we pray to him in our difficult moments! It is my prayer that the Lord will meet the needs of each and every one who believes in him for changes in their lives!

THE WORD OF THE LORD!

Pastor Nana Kobina Baisie
Teacher/Pastor at Nadrim Mission International School, Busan, Korea.