Today you should read: Judges 13
At first glance in this chapter most often I have always either personally focused on Samson or I have heard this passage taught in reference to Samson. This passage does tell of how the birth of Samson would come to pass; the events that transpired with the interaction Manoah and his wife and the angel.
It is very interesting that when the angel appears to Manoah’s wife initially she just believes that he is an angel. When she tells Manoah his response is not criticism, or doubt, rather it was to pray and ask God to send the angel again for direction. God was faithful to this prayer. The angel comes to them again and gives them much more information about the future of Samson.
What is truly beautiful about the interaction is the moment that Manoah realizes that this angel was not just an angel. This was the Lord. Can you imagine having a personal encounter with God and not realizing it until after? So often this passage is focused on Samson and the telling of his birth and the description of what his life should be. But the fact that they did not realize they were in the presence of God until the end is a big deal. They were obviously people who believed in God but they missed that they were in His presence until He left. How many times have we missed the presence of the Lord because we were focused on something else? Manoah wanted so badly to honor this angel, all the while the angel was saying to honor God instead. Even as believers we can get distracted by good things and miss the best things. A professor told me in college “good is bad when it keeps you from the best.”
By: Dakota Gragg — Student Ministry Associate
JumpstartCPC.com 
I appreciate the wisdom of Manoah and his wife. His first response was to ask God to show them how to raise this child well, which the Lord honored. And when he was hard on himself for missing that they had just had a truly divine encounter, his wife offered assurance that they had done the right thing. I’m grateful that so often in life when we genuinely seek wisdom, the Lord responds with grace.
That’s a great word John. Thanks for your insight.
This was a great thought-provoked, Dakota. The question, “Can you imagine having a personal encounter with God and not realizing it until after?”, really struck a chord with me. I wonder how often I am truly insensitive to God’s Spirit in my daily life.