This passage above highlights the active participation of God with men in producing children- according to His purpose. Mothering/Parenting is a shared responsibility between God and man. If you understand this, and are faithful, God Himself is faithful.
Successful mothering starts from that participatory understanding. God is the one that forms and separate babies from the womb-having plans for them before they come - Jer 1:5 This understanding gives you an advantage; seeing you and God at work to cause His purpose to manifest on the earth. People of this understanding enjoy peculiar involvement of God in their affairs over their children. There is no child that God gives to family without a defined purpose attached.
It’s a pity today that most parents stumble on children. I emphasize that one can still have children that God did not give to one (like Ishmael) –because God did not speak anything concerning his destiny. When you have no idea of God’s purpose, you have no weapon in the day of battle (crises).
In this passage, God started with a purpose demanding the commitment of the parents. Manoah’s wife confided in her husband on what she received. Correct mothering can only be done in active cooperation with correct fathering – she discussed with her husband, what the angel told her.
Most women see the child as their own- considering her agony in the labour room; and at some times poison the child against the father. A woman does not have all it takes to raise a child. The child will lack many things- that only fatherhood can supply. There is a place of fathering that makes mothering show. When you fence them from that fathering influence, the gap will be there.
Notice that Manoah prayed that God should come and teach them how to raise the child-the child to be born. This is the prayer every mother ought to be praying before child bearing not just going around the market in search of dresses that the baby will wear.
God did not give you children to start raising them the way you know – your mother’s way or the way of the people around you. Husband and wife are to team up to raise the children under God.
Something is wrong if the father is pulling up and the mother is pulling down. There must be a harmonization of principles, understanding, etc. the two agreeing together in raising the children. They (Manoah and the wife) submitted their background fears (known and unknown) and limitations to what God had to say-seeking to be led in spite of what they knew. If you open your spirit to the Lord, He will lead you and show you what to do.
You must acknowledge and submit ownership of the child to the Lord (Ps. 127). The child belongs to God. He expects you to take custody of him while you consistently seek counsel from Him as the Owner. Many parents want to raise the child for themselves and not for the Lord. You must always seek the face of the Lord for what God desires for the child.
May the Lord depend on you.
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