God's Unexpected Heroes: Trusting in Divine Intervention

Devotional

Day 1: Set an Example in Speech, Conduct, Love, Faith, and Purity

God calls even the young to be leaders and examples for others, not letting anyone look down on them because of their age, but instead to set the standard in how they speak, act, love, trust, and live with integrity. No matter your age or background, you are invited to live in such a way that others see Christ in you, becoming a model for the whole community. When you choose to honor God in your daily life, you inspire others to do the same, showing that faithfulness is not limited by age or experience. [27:52]

1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV)
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Reflection: In what area—speech, conduct, love, faith, or purity—do you most sense God calling you to set an example for others this week, and what is one specific action you can take today to live that out?

Day 2: God Is Always Working, Even in the Darkest Places

Even when we are lost, indifferent, or not even seeking Him, God is at work behind the scenes, orchestrating hope and deliverance in ways we may not see or understand. Israel was so far from God that they didn’t even think to cry out for help, yet God initiated their rescue anyway, showing that His mercy and faithfulness are not dependent on our awareness or effort. In your own life, when you feel forgotten or overwhelmed, remember that God is moving, preparing a way forward, and working for your good—even when you don’t realize it. [34:50]

Ephesians 2:1-5 (ESV)
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.

Reflection: Can you recall a time when God was working in your life even though you weren’t seeking Him? How might you look for His hand at work in your current circumstances today?

Day 3: God Works Through the Unexpected and the Unlikely

God delights in using ordinary, overlooked, or unlikely people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes, often choosing those whom the world would never expect. Just as He chose Manoah and his barren wife to bring forth Samson, and as He worked through the unexpected women in Jesus’ genealogy, God’s ways are not our ways—He sees potential and purpose where others see limitation. If you feel unqualified or insignificant, know that you are exactly the kind of person God loves to use for His glory; your story can become a testimony of His power and grace. [41:34]

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (ESV)
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

Reflection: Where do you feel most inadequate or unlikely to be used by God, and how can you offer that area to Him in faith today?

Day 4: Faith Sees What Fear Cannot

When faced with uncertainty or fear, faith enables us to trust God’s promises and obey what He has already revealed, even when we don’t have all the answers. Manoah was anxious and wanted every detail about his son’s future, but the angel simply repeated God’s instructions, reminding us that obedience and trust are more important than having all the information. Like Manoah’s wife, who calmly trusted God’s word, you are invited to let faith guide you beyond your fears, believing that God’s plans are good even when you can’t see the whole picture. [47:10]

Judges 13:17-23 (ESV)
And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar while Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground. The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where fear or anxiety is keeping you from trusting God’s instructions, and how can you take a step of faith today to obey what He has already shown you?

Day 5: The Spirit of the Lord Stirs and Empowers Change

True transformation and impact come not from our own strength, but from the Holy Spirit stirring within us, guiding, convicting, and empowering us to live out God’s purposes. Just as Samson’s strength and calling began with the Spirit of the Lord stirring in him, so too does God desire to move in your heart, bringing about real change and equipping you to make a difference in your family, workplace, and community. This requires intentionality—cultivating time in God’s Word, prayer, and authentic community—so that you are open to the Spirit’s leading and ready to respond when He calls. [50:58]

John 14:26 (ESV)
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Reflection: What is one practical way you can make space for the Holy Spirit to stir in your life this week—whether through prayer, Scripture, or community—and how will you act on it today?

Sermon Summary

This morning, we began a journey into the life of Samson, the last judge of Israel, as recorded in Judges 13-16. The story of Samson is not just an ancient tale, but a mirror for our own lives—full of cycles, darkness, and the surprising ways God intervenes. Israel, at this point in history, was in a spiritual freefall. They had abandoned God, fallen into sin, and were under the oppression of the Philistines. What’s striking is that, unlike previous cycles, Israel didn’t even cry out for help. They were so lost, so numb to their need, that seeking God didn’t even cross their minds.

Yet, God’s faithfulness is not dependent on our awareness or our cries for help. Even when Israel was not looking for Him, God was already at work, orchestrating deliverance through the most unlikely people—a barren woman and her husband, Manoah. This is a recurring theme in God’s story: He delights in using the unexpected, the overlooked, and the unqualified. The birth of Samson, a Nazirite set apart from birth, is a testament to God’s mysterious and gracious ways. He doesn’t choose the biggest, the bravest, or the most spiritual; He chooses those through whom His power can be most clearly seen.

We also see a contrast between fear and faith in Manoah and his wife. Manoah is frantic, desperate for details and control, while his wife quietly trusts in God’s promise. Faith sees what fear cannot. God calls us to obey what we already know, to trust Him with the unknown, and to let His Spirit guide us forward.

Ultimately, the real hero in the story is not Samson, but God Himself. It is the Spirit of the Lord who stirs in the heart of the hero, who empowers, convicts, and leads. The same Spirit is available to us today. But for the Spirit to stir in us, we must make space—through God’s Word, prayer, and authentic community. Change doesn’t happen by accident; it requires intentional steps, honest confession, and a willingness to let go of old patterns. God wants to work through each of us, not just for our own transformation, but so we can be catalysts of change in our families, workplaces, and communities.

Key Takeaways

1. God is always working, even when we are unaware or uninterested. Israel didn’t even cry out for help, yet God initiated their deliverance. His faithfulness is not limited by our faithlessness; He moves in the background, preparing rescue and redemption even when we are lost in darkness. This truth invites us to trust that God is present and active, even in our most hopeless seasons. [32:45]
2. God delights in using the unexpected and the overlooked. Manoah and his barren wife were not the obvious choice for heroes, yet God chose them to be the parents of Samson. Throughout Scripture, God consistently works through those whom the world would dismiss, reminding us that our limitations are often the very places where His power is displayed most clearly. If you feel unqualified or unseen, you are exactly the kind of person God loves to use. [39:13]
3. The mystery of salvation is that God does for us what we could never do for ourselves. If we wrote the script, we’d make salvation about effort and achievement, but God’s way is grace—substitutionary atonement through Jesus. This is both simple and hard to believe: that God loves us so much He would send His Son to take our place, inviting us to trust and follow Him. The gospel is a mystery that humbles our pride and calls us to faith. [42:30]
4. Faith sees what fear cannot. Manoah’s anxiety and need for control contrast with his wife’s calm trust in God’s promise. Often, we want all the answers before we obey, but God calls us to trust Him with what we know and leave the rest in His hands. True faith is not the absence of questions, but the willingness to obey in the midst of uncertainty, believing that God’s purposes are good. [45:40]
5. The Spirit of God is the true source of transformation and heroism. Samson’s strength and calling were not his own doing, but the result of the Spirit stirring within him. Likewise, real change in our lives comes not from self-effort, but from yielding to the Spirit—through Scripture, prayer, and community. If we want to see God move, we must make space for His Spirit to work, allowing Him to change us and use us to impact others. [49:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:52] - Introduction to the Series: The Rise and Fall of a Hero
[30:05] - The Cycle of Judges and Israel’s Spiritual Condition
[31:08] - Every Hero Story Begins in Darkness
[32:45] - Israel’s Apathy and God’s Initiative
[33:32] - Our Story in Israel’s Story
[34:50] - God Works When We Least Expect It
[36:26] - God’s Unlikely Choices: Manoah and His Wife
[38:31] - God’s Pattern: Working Through the Unexpected
[40:49] - The Nazirite Vow and God’s Unique Ways
[42:30] - The Mystery of Salvation
[43:34] - Faith Versus Fear: Manoah and His Wife
[48:18] - The Spirit of the Lord Stirs the Hero
[49:52] - The Real Hero: God’s Spirit at Work
[51:37] - Responding to God’s Stirring: Practical Steps
[54:35] - Change Happens in Community
[56:00] - Confession, Change, and Prayer
[57:51] - Closing Prayer and Invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Judges 13:1-25 (ESV) — > And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
> There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children.
> 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.”
> ... (Read the full chapter for context)

Ephesians 2:1-5 (ESV) — > And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
> But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Observation Questions

In Judges 13, what was Israel’s spiritual condition, and how did it differ from previous cycles in the book of Judges? ([32:45])
Who did God choose to begin Israel’s deliverance, and what was unique about this choice? ([36:26])
What instructions did the angel of the Lord give to Manoah’s wife regarding her future son? ([36:26])
How did Manoah and his wife respond differently to the angel’s message? ([45:40])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Israel didn’t cry out for help this time, and what does that reveal about their spiritual state? ([32:45])
What does God’s choice of Manoah and his barren wife tell us about the way God works in the world? ([39:13])
The sermon said, “Faith sees what fear cannot.” What does this mean in the context of Manoah and his wife’s reactions? ([45:40])
According to the sermon, who is the real hero in the story of Samson, and why is that important for us to remember? ([49:52])

Application Questions

The sermon said that God is always working, even when we are unaware or uninterested. Can you think of a time in your life when God was working behind the scenes, even when you didn’t notice or care? How did you realize it later? ([34:50])
God delights in using the unexpected and the overlooked. Do you ever feel unqualified or unseen? How might God want to use you right where you are? ([39:13])
The story contrasts Manoah’s fear and need for control with his wife’s quiet trust. When you face uncertainty, do you tend to react more like Manoah or his wife? What would it look like to trust God with the unknown this week? ([45:40])
The sermon said, “Change doesn’t happen by accident; it requires intentional steps, honest confession, and a willingness to let go of old patterns.” Is there a specific area in your life where you sense God calling you to change? What is one intentional step you could take this week? ([53:21])
The Spirit of God is the true source of transformation. What are some practical ways you can make space for the Holy Spirit to work in your life—through Scripture, prayer, or community? ([49:52])
The sermon encouraged us to be honest in community and to confess where we are struggling. Is there something you need to share with someone you trust, or a step you need to take to be more open in your small group? ([54:35])
God wants to work through us not just for our own transformation, but to impact others. Who in your family, workplace, or community might God be calling you to encourage or serve this week? ([53:21])

Sermon Clips

``God is always working. Even when it seems like God has forgotten about you, even when the things that you encounter in life, they just seem overwhelming, that you don’t know how you’re going to take the next step forward. God is still working. In fact, what’s so good about God is that he saves us even when we don’t even realize we need saving, right? He shows up in our life and we’re not even thinking about him. That’s how wonderful he is. He saves whether we want him to or not. [00:34:53] (30 seconds) #GodWorksUnseen

Faith sees what fear can’t. Now, hang with me here. This is a little bit longer passage. I’m gonna read about 15 verses here. So if it helps you, just close your eyes and listen. So we pick up our story. Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, Oh, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who’s to be born. [00:43:38] (22 seconds) #HolySpiritEmpowers

Now, here as we look at the life of Samson, the temptation for you and for me is to look at Samson and see him as the hero. He’s going to do some really wild and crazy things that will end up leading to the salvation of Israel for a time being. And our focus can often be on that hero and be on Samson like he’s this big strong man who does these amazing, amazing things. But the reality is the real hero is God. Because Samson couldn’t have done all of those things if the spirit of God had not began to stir in him. So it’s God who is our real hero because it is his spirit that stirs in us. [00:49:03] (49 seconds)

It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us. It is the Holy Spirit that leads us. It is the Holy Spirit that reminds us of God’s word and brings to mind in those moments that we have to make decisions, the godly things that we really need in that moment. And so my prayer for you has been all week that the spirit of God would stir in you. Because we can sit here and we can play church and we can show up and we can do this thing again and again and again and again. But unless you allow the spirit of God to stir in your heart, then nothing’s ever going to change. [00:50:25] (41 seconds)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What demonstrates God's power to work through unexpected people?

How does faith see beyond fear in difficult situations?

What role does the Holy Spirit play in heroism?