Learning from Samson

The Judge Samson was not what most parents would consider to be a good example for their sons.  And fathers would cringe at the thought of their daughters hanging out with a guy like him.  He was a man of very low moral fiber.  He used the strength that God gave him in order to avenge personal wrongs.  And, what’s worse, he violated the three rules God required of him (not to drink fermented wine, not to touch anything unclean and not to cut his hair).  Yet God includes him in His list of great examples of faith (Hebrews 11:32).

     I can’t help but wonder why. 

    What is it God wants me to learn from shameless, degenerate Samson?

    Am I actually able to live life my way, killing people, violating my commitment to God and still be ok in the end?

     No, that can’t be it.  There’s too much Scripture that warns against this kind of attitude (see Romans 6:1).

     Am I able to use my God-given gifts for my own personal use and then expect God to help me in the end when I decide to call out to Him for one last favor?

     No, that can’t be it either.  God created me to live a holy life fully dedicated to Him and His kingdom (1 Peter 2:5).

     Maybe I don’t get it because I’m looking in the wrong place.  I should be looking at God, not Samson.

     Now the picture becomes clearer.  God used Samson to teach all humans about His grace.  This renegade Judge continually did things contrary to God’s design, yet God never left him.  That is until Samson cut himself off from God.  Once his hair was cut, his final link to God was severed.  We too have made a commitment to God and if we cut ourselves off from His presence by continuing in our sin, God will withdraw from us (because He refuses to be involved in our ugliness & sin) and we will be too weak to fight off our enemies.  When we remain in Him, His strength and power will be with us always. 

     Secondly, what I learn from Samson is that a broken tie to our loving Creator can be repaired.   As long as we have life within us, we are able to turn back to God and He will hear us and respond; every time, no matter what.  He is pleased to restore us to Himself.  The sign of Samson’s strength was in the length of his hair.  For us it is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  By attempting to grow in these attributes, we will enjoy God’s strength and favor.  When we get “cut off” from these attributes, we become too weak to fight off our enemies.

     Isn’t it wonderful that we serve a God who is able and willing to overlook our faults and look at our hearts?  He wants to include you in His list of the faithful.  All you need to do is stick with Him to the end.

     P.S. some helpful tips:

1. resolve to remain faithful to your commitment to God,

2. use your gifts and talents for useful, unselfish purposes,

3. hide the spiritual scissors that Satan uses to break your tie to God & others,

4. and definitely steer clear of the Delilah’s around you.

Doug

Time for Father

Time is the most interesting thing in God’s creation.  You can’t stop it, you can’t store it up in a container, and you can’t make it go backward.  Time just keeps marching on.

Our culture is so consumed with time.  We schedule so much of our day that it seems we run out of time.  We live according to IPhones, IPads, and Daily Planners.  Some hire professionals to help them learn how to manage their time so they can fit in all they need to do and have a few moments to do what they want to do.  Sadly, it isn’t working.

The results are tragic.  Families are disintegrating because they’re not given enough of our time.  The roadways are crammed with impatient drivers needing to get to the next item on their agenda.  People themselves are slowly losing their sanity because they’re trying to do too much with what little time they have.  Too many have snapped and have become dangerous and violent (as Paul predicted – Romans 1:28-32).

Is this any way to live?  Can this be the abundant life Jesus longed to provide for us (John 10:10)?  Is there an answer to our time-crunch dilemma?  Yes a very simple one.  I saw a bumper sticker the other day that bore a reminder that will help.  It read, “Let go and let God.”  That simple, yet soothing assertion sums it all up; now if only we would take the time to try it. 

Heed the words of the shepherd: “He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2).  Life gets out of hand when we get too busy and occasionally our loving Father steps in and allows a family crisis, or an illness, or a job loss; something that forces us to stop the madness and reflect on our relationship with Him.  Lives are only put back in order when we stop and put God back into them where He belongs.  This is one of the reasons He made the Sabbath Day holy.  He knew that we would get caught up with life, forget Him and try to go it alone.  It’s sad though that He had to command its observance.  And if you’re honest, you know that one day a week isn’t enough; to have the wherewithal to fight sin and stay on the road to holiness you need a daily dose of healthy God-time.

Look at your schedules, calendars and appointments.  Do you see God anywhere in there?  If not, it’s no wonder you’re harried and ready to collapse.  Surely there is something you can set aside to allow more time for what really matters (prayer, worship, relief effort, family & friends, Scripture, meditation).  Try Letting go of those things that restrict holiness and Letting God transport you to a richer, fuller, more rewarding life with Him. He promises to bless you for the attempt – and you will be amazed at how much more fulfilling and enjoyable your life can be.

Doug

Sin & Puck!

Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," (Proverbs 26:11) and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."   (2 Peter 2:22)

Those who know me well know that I’m not an animal lover; I consider myself to be more of an animal tolerator.  But the reason is not that I lack a soft spot for furry creatures.  I love most of the pets I encounter.  It’s just that many times they are too demanding for my personal comfort.   Being totally honest, I loathe cleaning up after them and having to watch them do very disgusting things.  Stepping in “it” while I’m walking through the yard (worse when “it” is in the house); gross ear baths (especially for dachshunds); licking themselves “there”; drinking out of the toilet & then wanting to lick me; and cleaning up puck (our family’s term for animal vomit).  And the clincher . . . re-eating what they’ve recently “deposited”!!  I know God made them do this, so there’s a good reason for it (I’m planning to ask Him about it when I arrive in Heaven).

The abhorrence I feel for this favorite habit of our best friends effectively drives home the reason Peter quotes this Proverb above.  It is, in my opinion, one of the best word pictures contained in Scripture.  It gives me a real feel for the contempt God has for our bad behaviors.  He sent Jesus to save us from the “stink piles” and “barf pools” of our sins.  He gave us a nice, clean place to inhabit free from the disgusting, vulgarities of our greed and selfishness.  Yet, like the church in Laodicea, we return to “eat” the sickening slime and filth and crud and smut that He had cleaned our souls of (see Revelation 3:14-22 – the word for “spit out” is literally “vomit”).  Peter, take note, is describing the actions of church people, not the ungodly.  God’s people had gotten tired (or lazy) of being good and were returning to “eat” their former vomit (judgmental, apathetic, selfish attitudes and vices).  Isaiah says (1:10-20) that even our worship is tainted and abhorrent to Him when we try to appear before Him with the odorous remnants of sin that we continue to return to throughout the week.  God states emphatically that He is nauseated by this.

Though we’re not always aware of how disgusting our actions can be, God is repulsed by them.  And He doesn’t grow to be ok with our disgusting habits over time, because He isn’t so interested in our happiness and need to have fun as He is in our being holy and righteous and clean (morally & ethically).  He has already said that He is so sickened by our “puck” (sin) that He will get busy ridding us of all traces of it.  He loves you too much to be “good” with you making a disgusting wreck of the life He made for you.

So make your life more comfortable and relaxing for yourself and help make things easier for God too by ridding yourself of sin and its influences once and for all.  Allow Him to help you “put to death” (Paul uses the word “murder”) your sin (Romans 8:13) so that your soul can be clean and free from anything gross and repulsive.  Determine from now on that whenever the urges arise, you are not going to return to that vomit ever again.

Doug

Striking A Healthy Balance

     “Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’  Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Proverbs 30:7-9

     What was Agur thinking when he wrote this request?  I mean, God is supposed to provide His children with all of the niceties of life as long as we do what He says.  Right?  Financial troubles, health problems, ruined relationships - they all happen when we aren’t living right.  Faithful Christians don’t have to “settle” for “just enough”.  That shows a lack of faith.  Right?

     Actually Agur was speaking from hindsight.  Moses had warned the Israelites of the danger of forgetting God when they entered Canaan and began to get busy with their lives (see Deuteronomy 6:10-12).  Their blessings and subsequent wealth drew their attention away from the Lord and onto themselves.  And they turned from God toward idols and were eventually punished - severely. 

     Agur’s words are true for any period of time; especially in our materialistic society.  Look carefully at what he is asking.  We easily understand wanting to keep falsehood and lies far from us.  Sin keeps us from our Father and sends us down the road to ruin.  But do we truly appreciate the need to have balance with our earthly riches?  Do we comprehend the danger of striving for wealth?  Do we remember the words of Jesus concerning how difficult it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of heaven (see Matthew 19:23-24)?

     Agur was thinking right when he asked to be in the middle.  He understood that arrogance was a possibility when a person has too much.  This attitude excludes God from our lives.  And we can’t afford for that to happen.  He also knew that fear and desperation accompanied poverty.  This mindset focuses on self and leads to other, more shameful actions.  We don’t want to dishonor God that way either. 

     To be holy means that we need to strive to be happy with what God brings our way; regardless of what we think we deserve.  And all we really need is His grace (of which we have a sufficient abundance: 2 Corinthians 12:9).  So if He blesses you with more (which He does all day, every day), be grateful.

Doug