Title: The Way to Open a Blessed Family
Judges (36) The way to open a blessed family (Judges 13:15-25)
<Living a life with a loaf of bread>
There are two kinds of life. One is to live a life of blessings and the other is a life to live as troubles. Wherever you go, be a blessing, not a nuisance. If you have sincere faith, you don't have to worry about your future or your children's future. God makes you reap what you sow.
When we prayed for our children and raised them in faith, that family became such a blessed family. Be the founder of such a blessed family and be a living witness of the Church. So, 100 years from now, live a life that is praised by the Korean church as “the person from 100 years ago!” We believe that God has called us to live such a blessed life. So always keep in your heart the vision to be blessed greatly and to share wonderfully in the future.
A missionary organization we were helping with the other day was first sending third world students to study theology in container boxes for several years. With the dedication of one person who was moved by that image, we were able to build a mission center, and we are still working hard to nurture juniors. Have such a vision of sharing. Passing on faith, not wealth, to your children is the way to be the source of blessings. Now, with the faith that pleases God, be faithful to your mission, and open a blessed family that serves as the foundation stone for blessings for the church, family, nation, and nation.
< The way to open a blessed family >
God gave Manoah a son named Samson to judge Israel and to open a blessed family. What should we do to open such a blessed family?
1. Show dedication.
Samson's father, Manoah, was going to slaughter a young goat and treat it as a token of his gratitude to the angel of God who delivered the blessed word (verse 15). He had a life of hospitality, which is an important factor in opening a blessed family. The basic concept of ‘a life devoted to God’ and ‘a life of missionary service to people’ is actually the same. People who know how to give to God are usually good at giving to people.
2. Be thankful for everything.
When Manoah said that he would treat it, the angel of the Lord told him to offer a burnt offering to God as a token of his gratitude (verse 16). Then Manoah asked the angel of the Lord his name. It was to express specific gratitude and to remember the grateful work for a long time. From this scene, you can see that he not only lived a life of dedication and hospitality, but also a life of gratitude. Even with such great devotion, if he does not immerse himself in a sense of merit and does not retreat from his gratitude, God will surely make him the founder of a blessed family.
3. Be wise
When Manoah realized that the angel of the Lord was God, he said to his wife. "Honey! We have seen God, and we must die” (verse 22). When Manoah feared such a death, his wife wisely said: "Honey! If God had intended to kill us, he would not have done all these things without taking our burnt offerings and grain offerings, and he would not have said these things” (verse 23). She comforted her husband with her unshakable faith even when he was engulfed in fear, telling her that God had no intention of killing them.
When you see this scene, you realize what the wisest life is. It is a life that comforts and encourages the fearful and anxious souls through the good will of God. What a loved one needs most is such comfort and encouragement. Now, don't lament yourself too much, "I'm out of my head and lacking in wisdom!" If you comfort and encourage him a lot, he will become the wisest person than anyone else, and in the end, that family will become a happier family than any other family.