Today’s Reading: Judges 16, Psalm 22

One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. Word soon spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, “When the light of morning comes, we will kill him.”

But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors of the town gate, including the two posts, and lifted them up, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from Hebron. – Judges 16:1-3

One thing that is consistent about Samson is his love to display his own strength. He knew God had chosen him before he was born for a special purpose but, instead of being humbled by God’s selection, he took pride in what he could do. Samson saw himself as invincible and lost sight of His invincible God. He took pleasure in doing whatever pleased him in the moment, rather than living to please the Lord.

Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” – Judges 16:4-5

The Philistines were intent on discovering Samson’s weakness so that they could stop him from wreaking havoc on their people and their land. They saw his infatuation with Delilah as the perfect opportunity to bring him down, and they capitalized on his lust for physical pleasure and her lust for money.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Over and over again, Delilah would ask Samson what the source of his strength was. He would give her a wrong answer and she would attempt to hand him over to the Philistines. Even though her lack of loyalty was obvious, Samson enjoyed the game and so he continued to give her wrong answers. Delilah nagged and tormented Samson until he was sick to death of it (16:16) and Samson foolishly gave in to her.

“My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” – Judges 16:17

And that is exactly what Samson became – weak and unable to save himself. The PLAYER had been PLAYED. Delilah shaved his head and the Philistines captured him. Samson thought the source of his strength was due to the presence of his hair, but his failure to acknowledge God in his life was really the reason he lost his strength. The Lord left Samson to suffer the consequence of his games.

SAMSON’S STRENGTH WAS NEVER IN HIS HAIR.

In a time when so many are curious about their strengths and their giftings, it is good to be reminded that God is the source of our best attributes. We are nothing without Him. He is our Creator and has uniquely designed us for His purposes. Anything we accomplish should be attributed to God and He should be given all the glory.

“Oh Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me. Heal me for I have sinned against you…Lord, have mercy on me. Make me well again, so I can pay them back!” – Psalm 41:4,10

The Philistines gouged Samson’s eyes out and bound him in bronze chains. The Avenger was now blind; the Player was now a prisoner. When Samson realized the foolishness of his ways, he began to pray to the Lord. One day they brought him out as a source of entertainment, and Samson asked the servant who was leading him to place him between the two pillars holding up the roof of the temple so that he could lean against them for support.

O Lord, do not stay far away!
You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! – Psalm 22:19

Then Samson asked God to remember him again and to give him one more opportunity to destroy Israel’s enemy. Pushing the two center pillars with the strength he now realized was from the Lord, Samson caused the temple to crash down on all the Philistine rulers, killing everyone in the temple including himself (Judges 16:28-30).

Praise the Lord! He has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
The Lord gives his people strength. – Psalm 28:6-7-8a

Thank you, Father God, for the strength you give us each day to face what lies ahead. It is a blessing to know that you are in control and that there is nothing ahead of us that you are unaware of or unprepared for. When we begin to give ourselves credit, remind us that you are our strength and our shield. Our hearts are bursting with gratitude for we serve the Lord who gives his people strength!