God Breaks Into Barrenness | Judges 13:2-3

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today’s shout-out goes to Andrew Leck from Rosehill, KS. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God’s Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one’s for you.

Our text today is Judges 13:2-3

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.” — Judges 13:2-3

In Israel’s darkest moment, God zeroed in on a barren woman from an obscure tribe. She had no children, no status, and no future by cultural standards. Yet it’s here that the angel of the Lord appeared, promising not only a son but a son who would begin to save Israel from the Philistines.

This is God’s pattern throughout Scripture: He delights in breaking into barren, hopeless places—Abraham and Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth—and now Manoah’s wife. Where human strength fails, divine power shines through.

We all know what "barrenness" feels like. It may not be a womb, but it could be a dream that won’t come alive, a marriage that feels stuck, a career that’s dried up, or a prayer that seems unanswered. Barrenness whispers to us all, “Nothing will ever change.”

But God specializes in stepping into impossible situations. He doesn’t just comfort us in our emptiness—He often uses it as the very stage to display his power. That’s what he did here: from a barren woman came Samson, a deliverer. And from another barren womb centuries later came Jesus, the ultimate Deliverer.

Never despise those barren seasons. They may be the very soil where God plants his greatest miracles in your lives. Instead of despairing, bring your barrenness to him in prayer today—write it down, speak it out, and surrender it. Hope grows when we put our barrenness into his hands.

ASK THIS:

Where do I feel barren or hopeless in life right now?
Do I believe God can step into that place with power?
How can I shift from despair to expectation in my prayers?
DO THIS:
Write down one area of life that feels barren. Instead of hiding it, bring it before God in prayer today, asking Him to show His power in what feels impossible.

PRAY THIS:
Lord, meet me in the barren places of my life. Where I see hopelessness, bring Your promise. Where I see emptiness, bring Your power. Help me trust that You can do the impossible. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
“We Need A Miracle.”