Bible Reading: Judges 13:1-9
Special Verse:
Judges 13:8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”
This was a prelude to the birth of Samson the strong man. The angel never appeared to Samson, telling him how he was to be raised but rather to his parents. Samson's likelihood of success was dependent on his parents training him according to the instructions they received. God has a great plan for each and every child born on earth and he wants to reveal it to parents who care to listen.
Our instruction manual is not from the world but from the mouth of God./the Bible. The Bible standard for raising kids is not politically correct, neither does it excite kids. Think about Samson growing up, a Nazirite, different from other kids. He must have felt excluded, and his parents had to constantly tell him, he was different.
Today I encourage every parent to remember that if you are unsure of how to handle issues with your kids, go back to scripture for directions. It may not feel right for you or your kids but if it is the word of God, do it. Your children may resent you or rebel against it like Samson did but take heart God will bring them back. Be encouraged because in spite of all Samson's foolishness, he made it into God's Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:32)