Anonymous

“A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless…The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, ‘You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean…’”Judges 13:2-4 (NIV).

Samson’s momma is difficult to talk about because we don’t know much about her. She’s barren, but then an angel appears to her, and her barrenness turns to wholeness. She is blessed with a son, Samson, who becomes one of the judges for Israel. But what is her name? We know Samson’s dad’s name is Manoah. He’s from Zorah. He’s of the Danite clan. He has a sterile and childless wife, but what is her name?

This woman with no name is barren but living in such a way that she is visited by the angel of the Lord. She’s a woman with no name, who is barren, but living in such a way that she doesn’t question the Lord’s promise to her, even though, His promise didn’t come free–not for her. His promise to her came with stipulations and sacrifices that only she could make. She couldn’t eat or drink anything she wanted like other pregnant women. She couldn’t even fix her son’s hair the way she wanted.

I’m going to be honest. I kind of like that she has no name. Why? Because she could be any of us. Have you ever felt barren? Have you ever felt like something that others do so easily is more difficult for you? Have you ever felt like to get what everyone around you has, God somehow demands more of you? Have you ever felt like no one remembers your name?

I had a friend in college who remains a friend to this day. For the first semester of college, she called me Anabelle. My name is Abigail. Right? She’s so sweet and she’s even more country than I am. So, it was a sweet Annabelle, but that’s not my name! Right? Sometimes, we feel forgotten. Maybe we’re in a place that we think not only God, but friends and family have forgotten us. Maybe we’re not sure if God remembers who we are and what we need. But I love what one author said about Samson’s momma, “Though her name has been lost to time, her impact has not.” Amen. (“Mother of Samson:Bible” by J. Cheryl Exum)

We know she desired a child. How do I know this? Because it was socially unacceptable for a married woman to be childless. She had been scorned. She had been whispered about. Her worth had been questioned. Have you ever felt that way? Every month, she probably had a little hope followed by a lot of disappointment. She still wasn’t pregnant.

We don’t know how Manoah’s wife dealt with this desire mixed with disappointment. All we know is that she wanted a child, but even though she was disappointed every month, she didn’t lose her faith. She just kept doing what was right. She kept keeping on until finally an angel appears with a promise.

In verse 3, the angel says, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son.” I love that God doesn’t shy away from the facts when He’s making this promise. The facts say she is sterile. The facts say she is childless. Maybe that’s why she accepted this word from God because He already knew the cold, hard facts. But then, after God lays out the facts, he says, BUT. “But” means on the contrary or an argument to what was just stated. So, here’s the facts, but now here’s the truth. The facts say she is barren, but the truth is she’s blessed. The facts say she is childless, but the truth is that God is going to give her a son.

Here are the facts, ladies. We can’t be real with everyone. We have to be careful of who we let in our circle. But the truth is we can always be real with God. Why? Because He already knows. He already knows the facts. He already knows what we did. He already knows what we said. He already knows the mess we made. He already knows what people have said about us. And guess what? He hasn’t changed His mind. He sees. He knows. And He has the power to speak HIS truth to the facts in our lives.

He can speak truth to the sickness in our body. “By His stripes we are healed,” Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV). He can speak peace to the anxiety in our mind. “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way,” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NKJV). He can speak safety to the fear in our heart. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe,” Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV). He can speak hope to the failure in our life. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,” Hebrews 6:19 (NKJV). God has the power to speak His truth to the facts of our lives!

Abigail Hughes serves as Women’s Ministries Coordinator for Pennsylvania Church of God. Alongside her husband, they have served as pastors, church planters, and in state administration for the Church of God for over 26 years. Abigail is a graduate of Lee University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in counseling. She has been married to her husband, Shea, for almost 26 years and they have 3 sons: Micah (23), Ryan (19), and Bentley (14).