Strength is an attribute. One we gain with hard work...I think of heavy lifting, body builders, exercise. Strength has to be tested to be proven. It takes time and discipline to gain strength.
Samson is brought forth to parents who are childless. An angel of the Lord comes to Samson's mother and explains to her, "You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Isreal form the hands of the Philistines." Judges 13: 3-5
So, right from the beginning, Samson is special. He is set apart, born at a specific time, under specific circumstances and for a specific purpose. His mother needed strength from the beginning of his life. His mother was to carry a son that would help deliver the people of Isreal from the Philistines. She needed strength... strength to obey the promises of the Lord, strength to endure the rules set before her, to abstain from drinking or eating things the angel of the Lord told her to avoid, and strength to obey the requirements of not cutting Samson's hair.
Strength comes from discipline, it comes from obedience, and it comes from trial. Samson faced some tough trials in his life...many of which he reacted out of anger and revenge...but God continued to use Samson. He was a bit of a "rockhead" as we like to call them around Real Life.
I'm a "rockhead" too. I react poorly to trials in my life too. I can move to action and destruction, okay so I don't take people out with a donkey jawbone or anything, but I know I use words that can cut and destroy.
Samson fell victim to his flesh at times. He fell in love, dealt with jealousy, and struggled with his pride and temper. Sound familiar? Samson was quite motivated to action at times in his life. He was motivated to battle and take on the enemy...but most of the time his motivations were a little off. His heart was settled on getting things done to satisfy himself, not obey God.
The interesting thing about Samson's story is at the end, when he's broken down, and tied up and defeated, he's blinded and he finally asks God for help with his strength. The one gift he'd had all his life, he'd relied on to get him out of trouble, he finally got to the point where he realized he needed God to really make it happen. And when he cries out to God in his weakness, he says, "O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Samson also asks God to let him die with the Philistines, and he ends up killing more with his death, than he did in life.
God works in some wondrous ways. I'm not sure how this study of Samson and his strength is going to play into our 50 Days study, but I'm willing to go where God's been working...you ready too?
Today's challenging question has us thinking about our motives...I know my motives can be pretty fleshy, and similar to Samson. I want to satisfy my pride and ambitions, and I can forget to acknowledge God in the gifts and strengths He's given me...so I guess the question I'm chewing on today is: Why am I doing what I'm doing? Is it to honor God, or myself? Do I have the strength to really look at my heart and see something I don't want to see?
Like Samson I can cry out and ask God for strength when I am weak and needing help...and I know he'll come in when my heart is ready. Praise the Lord in all His faithfulness!
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