Judges 13:20

Judges 13:20 says, For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.  As the flame flame of the sacrifice on the altar went upward, the angel of the LORD ascended with it.  When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces on the ground.  We need to be in awe when God does something miraculous in our life today, and fall down and worship Him.  Verse twenty-one adds, But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.  When the angel no more appeared to Manoah and his wife, Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.  The angel had evidently looked like a man, and it wasn't until his miraculous departure that Manoah recognized that he was an angel.  Angels may have been at work in our life today and we never even realized it, because we didn't recognize them as angels.  Verse twenty-two states, And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.  Manoah then said that his wife and he would surely die, because they had seen God.  It having just been said that Manoah knew this was an angel, he now identified him as God.  Even if we recognize that an angel is or has been at work in our life, we should never elevate them to the status of being God.  They were, are, and always will be His servants, created by Him,  even though they were given freewill and a third rebelled.  Verse twenty-three adds, But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.  Manoah's wife, still unnamed, said that if God were going to kill them that He would not have received their sacrifice and told them these things at the same time.  We need to realize that when God is at work in our life that it is for our benefit and never just so He can get something from us before He kills us.  Verse twenty-four continues, And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.  Manoah's wife had a son as the angel had said she would, and she named him Samson.  One way to know if what we believe to be a promise from God is real or not is to see if it comes to pass.  Of course, while we are waiting, as we are for the return of Jesus Christ, we must be faithful in doing what we believe that God has revealed to us that He wants us to do.  We must act in faith and not just sit back and see if what God says will happen really does.  Verse twenty-three concludes, And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.  As Samson grew up, God began to move in his life at times in the camp of Dan.  God has a purpose for everyone, and He will be moving in our lives as we grow up, but it is up to each person individually to decide whether or not to follow Him.