Stirred by the Spirit

Judges 13:25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

The living God is a trinity--the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Samson was stirred by the Holy Spirit. Do you know who the Holy Spirit is? Like Samson, are you stirred by Him?

The Holy Spirit is God Himself. He is co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent with the Father and Son.

What are some of the roles of the Holy Spirit? He is a counselor who, if you ask, can guide and teach you. (John 14:16) Do you have a friend who needs comfort and you're unsure about what to say to her? Are you unsure about your next step in your relationships and career? Have you asked the Holy Spirit to guide you in decision-making?

He is also the Spirit of holiness who empowers you to live a holy life.(Romans 1:4) Have you ever tried to quit smoking? Have you tried to be patient in traffic and long lines? It's impossible to live a holy life on your own strength. The Holy Spirit empowers you to do this.

Do you want to be stirred by the Spirit? More about this in tomorrow's entry.

All of You

Judges 13:19 (NASB) So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the LORD, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on.

Manoah's wife was barren but God came through and promised them a child. God also guided the couple and and gave them specific instructions: she should avoid wine and never shave her son's hair.

What was the couple's instinctive reaction to God's presence? They worshiped God by offering a sacrifice.

How about you? How do you worship God? What do you offer up to Him?

Paul urges us in Romans 12:1 to view ourselves from the perspective of God's mercy. Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. Therefore, we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.

God doesn't want us to sacrifice a goat, a lamb or a turtle dove in this day and age. He wants you. All of you. He wants to be Lord of your mind, your heart, your body. He wants you to glorify Him with your words and actions. How is this possible? It's only possible when you know how much He loves you, how much He's done for you.

Today, offer yourself, all of you, your mind, your heart and your body to the living God.

Photo by: Bourne Bedweey (http://www.flickr.com/photos/12358218@N05/1299905340/)

Destiny Carved

^{Judges 13:5} (NASB) "For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines."

Did you ever wonder why you were born and grew up in a specific city and time? Ever wonder why God gave you specific talents? Did you ever wonder why God put certain people in your life?

In this passage we learn that God carved out a specific destiny for Samson. God is a God of detail. Samson's destiny was meant to glorify Him and bless others.

How about you? Do you know what God wants you to specifically do to glorify Him? Are you blessing others?

Today, choose to glorify God in all that you to do. You may be the only Jesus that others will meet. You may be the only person who can reconcile others to Him.

Photo: "World Map-1689 No. 1" by Caveman 92223 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/28402283@N07/3185534518/)

Manoah's Prayer

^{Judges 13:8-9(NASB)} Then Manoah entreated the LORD and said, "O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born." God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her.

Has God blessed you with much? Has He blessed you with a godly husband? Children? A thriving business? A growing ministry?

Are you unsure about how to handle these successes and blessings? Like Manoah, God wants you pray and ask for guidance. He will listen. He will send you His word and wise counsel.

Today, pray and hold on to God's promise: He will lead the blind in ways they have not known, and guide them along unfamiliar paths. He will turn darkness into light and make the rough places smooth. (Isaiah 42:16)

Photo: Encadre by Frederic della Faille (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33432224@N00/2285253737/)

The Promise of Samson

^{Judges 13:3} Then the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son.

God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He makes promises to His people, and when He releases His word, it will not go back to Him empty, but will accomplish His desire and achieve the purpose for which He sent it.

Has God made a promise to you? Is the promise in line with His Word? Are you getting impatient?

Today, acknowledge your present situation, but choose to have faith in God's promises. The grass will wither, the flowers will fall, but the word of God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

Ring Ring

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Ring ring. God is calling you today. Are you picking up the phone or hanging up?

God calls you according to His purpose in three ways.

First, He calls you into a relationship with Him. He is your Father, your savior, your perfect lover. The one who empowers you. Pleasing God is not just about following the rules. It's about having a personal relationship with Him, a heart that seeks and desires to please Him. Do you have a personal relationship with God? Are you spending time with Him and enjoying His company?

Second, God calls you to lead others and help them grow in their relationship with Him. When you're passionate about God, you can't help but tell others about Him, so they'll be able to share the joy that you're experiencing. Are you encouraging others to have and build a relationship with God?

Third, He calls you to glorify Him in specific ways. This may involve choosing a specific partner in marriage or a specific career path. Or God may be calling you to do a specific action to help someone in need or He may be calling you to change a destructive habit.

How is God calling you today? Are you taking action? Say "yes!" to God's call today.

This brings us to the end of our Romans 8:28 meditation. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. "

Tomorrow we're off to study the life of Samson: lessons from his life and their practical application. Read Judges 13-16 to get a head start!

The Perfect Lover

Psalm 52:8 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.

Can't stop chewing on Romans 8:28. Now on part six. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Have you ever been in love?

I'll call him B. I dated him a couple of years ago. He was more quirky than handsome, tall and stooped with icy blue eyes. He chattered incessantly about his travels to India, Peru and his inner world, which was like a maze to me. We argued over which was the better network--CNN or BBC? We visited museums and photo galleries and he said He started falling in love with me when I analyzed the blurry background of a majestic Sagada woman's black and white photo. She was perched on a log and defiant in her stare back at us as we laughed and clinked our wine glasses.

B pursued me. He constantly texted, called and made dates to see me. I always felt his desire for me. It was the night before he returned to the East Coast that he confessed his feelings. He discussed his plans to return to Manila and I promised I would wait for him.

During that period, I savored the wait. I loved waiting for B to text and call. I stayed up late to accomodate the time zone difference. I always smiled and my heart beat fast when I talked to him. I couldn't stop chattering about him to my friends. I was looking forward to him finding a job and returning to Manila. My heart's desire was to spend as much time as possible with him. We constantly made plans to travel to many places and do fun things.

God pursued me incessantly too. My heart and life were so faraway from Him but He made a way for me to know, without a doubt, His heart's desire, His unfailing love for me, His passion for me to be in a relationship with Him. (More about this in a future entry.)

God is the perfect lover. Loved ones will eventually be separated by break-ups, divorce and death. But God will always be there. He will never leave us.

My relationship with B didn't weather the distance. But my relationship with God did.

God loved me first and pursued me. Now I am so in love with Him. I look forward to talking to Him everyday. I can't wait to listen and meditate on His word. I'm always amazed at how He reveals Himself to me through people and nature. I can't help but tell all my friends about Him. I can't help but tell the world :-) I'm just so excited and passionate about my relationship with Him. I can't contain it.

That's how I love God. How about you?