And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” (Jdg 13:3-5 ESV)
There are only a few times when an angel foretold the birth of a child. Isaac, Samson, John the Baptist and Jesus are the only ones who come to mind at the moment.
As a parent, that has to do something to the way you think about your child.
Isaac was going to be the father of a great nation. Samson was going to be a deliverer. John was going to prepare the way for the Messiah and Jesus was to be the Messiah. That has to change something in the way their parents raised them.
We are told that we are part of a priesthood – a holy nation set apart to God. We are ambassadors for Christ and ministers of reconciliation. We are peacemakers and children of God. Check this out from Romans 8:
- We are not condemned (vs 1)
- We are free from sin and death (vs 2)
- The Power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us (vs 9-11)
- We are adopted and God is our father (He chose me!) (vs 15)
- We are heirs with Christ (We are legitimate) (vs 17)
- When bad things happen, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t love us (vs 35)
- We have already won (No losers here!) (vs 37)
- Nothing can separate us from His love (vs 38-39)
Shouldn’t that change something!