Missing What Is Good

Scripture: Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, let the man of God you sent come again to us and teach us what we should do for the boy who will be born.” ... Then Manoah asked, “When Your words come true, what will the boy’s responsibilities and mission be?” Judges 13:8,12

Observation: As Judges progresses, we see the sin and problems for Israel mounting. Even when a judge succeeds, other factions rebel against that judge or even turn violent. There is deadly conflict between Israel's tribes, repeated baal worship, and punishment from God.

However, not all is evil. The people are still rich, as the book continues to point out facts that convey prosperity. They have been in the land for hundreds of years, and overall they prosper with family, animals, and harvests. It is in this context of both blessing and rebellion that Manoah appears, a man with prosperity, but no son, in the midst of another Philistine oppression due to Israel's evil. The Angel of the Lord has promised he and his wife a son, and Manoah's faith is evident and steadfast. He does not doubt or question. His wife tells him of a vision, and he prays for wisdom about what to do when this comes to pass. He meets the angel, and immediately wants to prepare himself for how to serve when the miracle happens.

Israel may struggle to follow God, but there are people like Manoah who are firm in faith, unshaken in hope, and confident in the Lord's promises.

Application: When looking around at everything today, it is so easy to focus on the evil that permeates our society. The evil has even become a uniting fabric of some elements of our country. Again, it is difficult not to dwell on these things and mourn for the lost communal faith.

However, there are Manoah's all around. There are faithful believers doing great work, loving others, and living into the promises of God. In their work, the Lord is at work, faith thrives, hope abounds. These things cannot be missed - they should in fact be the focus. I can find these places of hope, and find new strength.

Prayer: Lord, your love is all around. May I focus on that love, and not on anything that is hopeless. May I focus on that which is pure, right, just, and true. And if, as I suspect, one of those pockets of faith is around my son, may I support and serve him as you would have done to make that pocket grow and thrive. Amen.