Offer it to the Lord

16 And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the Lord). 19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on- 20 it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar-the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. 

Judges 13:16,19-20 (NKJV)

Yesterday, we saw the importance of asking God for direction, leading and help in the things He has handed over to us. We saw this example from Manoah, a man of faith, who sought God for direction and instructions on how to handle the promise of God to his family. After Manoah prayed this prayer, we see in verse 9, that God heard him and sent the angel to his wife again. This time, she went and called her husband to see him and hear from him.

The angel gave them specific instructions for his wife and the child, and after he was done Manoah wanted to entertain the angel by preparing food for him. But he declined in verse 16 saying that they should offer a burnt offering to the Lord instead. They did this and God accepted their offering. 

The main point here is that their offering is a product of their heart of worship. They were indeed humbled to be chosen by God for this blessing, and they did not take it for granted. The question to you today is, “What is your response to the Word of God for you?” Manoah’s response was worship, a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and this must be how we also respond to the wonderful blessings of God in our lives. Sometimes, we see God’s promises as normal, sometimes as not that special, and are waiting for that big thing or the physical manifestation before we worship God. But Manoah worshiped God even when he did not yet see it, he only heard it. This truly must be our response.

PRAYER

Father, I worship you for your glorious promises in my life. Even though I haven’t seen them, I bless you because your word is sure and it is true. Nothing can stop it. Thank you for looking upon me and showing me such great favor and grace. I will worship and serve you with all my heart, all my days.