Samson's strength

You are free to choose. Jesus wants to help you know, that no matter where you are, God is with you. 

Proverbs chapter 11 verse 3.

A good man is guided by his honesty; the evil man is destroyed by his dishonesty.

The story of Samson is filled with rebellion and pride. He was a gift from God to his parents. And as he grew older, he was blessed by God. It wasn't long before the beauty of a woman tempted him and aroused his desires. His parents objected because she was a Philistine and not a Jewish woman. He told his father that she was the one he wanted, and demanded that he get her for him. 

   Unknown by his parents God had placed the idea in Samson to marry a Philistine woman, for He was setting a trap for the Philistines as they were the rulers of Israel at the time. God's plan continued when Samson asked a riddle to thirty of the Philistine men, that he knew they would not be able to solve. The men turned to his new wife and threatened to kill her and her family if she did not get the answer. In tears she nagged him for the answer until he finally broke down and gave it to her. Of course she told the men, in order to save her family, and they, the Philistine men, gave the answer to Samson, who became very angry about the way they got the answer. He went and killed thirty of the Philistines and took their robes to give as the winning prize. 

   In his fury, he abandoned his wife and returned to his home. Unknown to Samson, who had returned home, his wife ended up marrying Samson's best man who was a Philistine. So wrong and so mixed up! Later on, at harvest time, Samson returned and discovered the wrong doings. In a fit of rage he burned the fields of grain and destroyed the olive trees. The Philistines were livid and wanted revenge. They ended up killing the deceitful wife and her family anyway. And again angered by the way the Philistines had acted, Samson ended up killing many more of them. Then he hid himself in a cave. The Philistines formed a posse and raided a Israelite town in search of Samson. In fear of their lives the Israelites sent a group of men to the cave and convinced Samson to give himself up. Upon returning to the Philistines who thought they had him, once again experienced Samson's God given strength. One thousand of them were killed by him and God in answering Samson's prayer for refreshment, caused a hollow in the ground to spew out water. 

   Twenty years later, Samson was the judge over Israel and Israel was still occupied by the Philistines. God wanted Israel to stop sinning against Him. He wanted their trust and thankfulness. God did not like the Philistines ruling over Israel and the Philistines wanted Samson under their control. It's not much different than our wandering lives. God watches and waits as we enjoy the bling of the world, hoping that at some point we will call out to Him and receive His caring love.

   The Philistines were driven to find out the source of Samson's strength. In the mean time, Samson, enjoyed his power and liked to taunt those around him. His weakness was the non stop nagging of Delilah, a girl friend who was constantly trying to find out his secret. He ended up giving in and then the Philistines had their way with him. The poor guy had lost all his strength and they blinded him, beat him and bound him. He was forced to live an unhappy life at the beck and call of the Philistines. 

   He ended up losing his own life in getting revenge. The Philistines suffered a great loss of people that day. God blessed Samson with strength beyond his imagination. When the time comes and God blesses you with His love, grab hold of it and never let go. Talk to God about your concerns and worries. Live with Him every moment of your life. Begin each day in praise, giving thanks to the Lord, for the day ahead, for the day gone by and for the privilege and honor of living in His presence. 

   Thank You Father for Jesus. Thank You for the strength of Samson when it comes to overcoming the chains that bind us to this world. 😊 

1 Peter chapter 5 verse 7-9.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, stand firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (NIV)

Psalms chapter 104 verses 30 and 31.

Then You send Your Spirit, and new life is born to replenish all the living things of the earth. Praise God forever! How He must rejoice in all His work! 

Malachi chapter 1 verse 11.

"But My name will be honored by the Gentiles from morning till night. All around the world they will offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of My name. For My name shall be great among the nations," says the Lord of Hosts.