Debbie W. Wilson

Refreshing Faith

Mothers of Prodigals: Draw Hope from Samson

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The smell of burning sacrifices made it impossible for Samson to ignore the Philistines’ celebration. He hung his head. It’d taken blindness and captivity to open his spiritual eyes and loosen the bonds of his self-centeredness.

His mother’s eyes had shone every time she said, “The Lord himself has chosen you to be his special servant to rescue Israel from the Philistines.” How had he not noticed when she stopped reminding him of his calling?        

Philistine cheers jolted him from his thoughts. Maybe he could still do something. “O God, please strengthen me just once more,” he prayed.

Hebrews 11 names Samson in its list of those commended for their faith. His backstory seems to show more flaws than faith. If I were listing examples of faith, I’d hardly include Samson. Yet, God did. Samson’s story offers hope for fathers and mothers of prodigals.

A Promising Beginning and Messy Middle

The angel of the Lord appeared to Samson’s mother and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. …He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines” (Judg. 13:3–5).

What high hopes these words must have raised in Samson’s parents. The Lord had set apart their son from the womb to the tomb to be his special servant. Samson’s parents were devout followers of Yahweh. His mother followed the strict Nazarite diet. His father Manoah prayed for instructions on how to bring up their son.Continue Reading

The Divine Dance Between God’s Sovereignty and My Responsibility

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Jackie is a dog whisperer. She calls herself a dog trainer, but if you watch this four-foot, eleven-inch woman handle a 150-pound dog, you’d know what I mean. I wanted Jackie to help me train our five-month-old puppy, but I couldn’t find her. I’d searched my emails and phoned where she used to work before running out of leads.

I do interior design work on the side. Every time I planned to visit the seamstress, something interfered. On a whim, I called another gal. On the way to her workroom, I again thought of Jackie. Imagine my curiosity when I spied a simple sign next door to the new seamstress’s shop that read “Dog Trainer.” A smaller sign in the window read “Jackie’s Dog Training.” Could it be the Jackie?Continue Reading

When the Enemy Seems to Be Winning

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Righteous indignation rose in young David when he heard Goliath’s rant. “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam. 17:26 NIV). To deride God’s people was to mock God. The taunts that moved David to fight caused the rest of Israel’s army to cower in fear.

Every day reports of injustice surface. Whether its conglomerates canceling products because they don’t like the founder’s political views, teachers abusing their influence to manipulate students’ thinking, meetings asking professionals to identify their personal pronouns (aka gender of the day), or new laws channeling millions of American tax dollars to fund abortion, Goliath is shaking his fist at God.

How do we respond? Do we, like Israel’s army, hide in fear? Or do we share David’s stance and face the enemy head on? If the latter, how do we protect ourselves from an unrighteous expression of righteous indignation?Continue Reading

Are You Worried You’ll Make the Wrong Decision?

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Did you ever play blindfold games when you were a child? I remember one in which the blindfolded partner navigated through a maze by following instructions from a trusted partner. “Three steps forward. Stop. Sidestep right.” Success depended on a trustworthy guide and a trusting listener. Sometimes trying to discern God’s will in a decision feels like playing blindfolded.

When I pray, I hope to receive clear directives like: Go with this doctor. Attend this conference. Send your child to this school. Move to this neighborhood. Instead, like the childhood game, God often says, “Take two steps forward; stop.”

It seems more efficient to say, “Put your child in this school,” than to say, “Call Sarah; see how her children did there. Sidestep. Attend a homeschool convention. Turn around; visit your public school.”Continue Reading

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