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
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