Broken, Humbled, Victorious

Verse of the day: Judges 16:22, However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.

Thankfully, Samson’s life story did not end when the Philistines took his eyes. Although he suffered painful and tragic consequences for living a compromised life, Samson still had hope. He foolishly told Delilah the secret of his strength, even though the hair itself was not the true source of his strength. It was the Spirit coming upon him that gave him supernatural strength, but his hair was the symbol of his consecration to God. For us, physical circumcision profits us nothing, but the circumcision of the heart which is demonstrated outwardly by a life consecrated to the Lord (Romans 2:25-29). The fact that the Word points out that Samson’s hair began to grow again is a testimony to God’s grace. Even though Samson’s life appears to be completely useless for the Lord, God is not done using him. His enemies have completely overlooked the fact that even though Samson’s hair was cut, God could grow it again. Samson did not have the ability to grow his own hair, but the God who numbers the hairs on our head can (Luke 12:7). Sadly, the truth of the matter is that sometimes it takes great tragedy in the lives of some of God’s children to bring us to the place where our hearts are turned back to the Lord. Samson had to endure the pain of having his eyes taken from him, and then he had to endure the conviction of hearing the Philistines mock God and proclaim that their heathen god Dagon was greater and delivered him into their hands (v. 23-24). He went from being a man who was greatly feared to a man who was now a mockery (v. 25, 27). When we live carelessly and fail to guard our testimony, we give the world reason to mock our God and our faith. However, we do have a God who promised that He would work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). The good that came out of this seemingly hopeless situation was that Samson was now a humble man. The man, who once carried the gates of the city on his shoulders, now had to be led by the hand by a lad (v. 26). I cannot help but note that in all his twenty years as a judge of Israel, we do not read anywhere that Samson prayed to the Lord. He cried out in despair after his victory over the thousand men because he could not find water to save his own life (15:18), but outside of that, we do not see him seek any kind of fellowship with the Lord. Now, this broken servant of God, finally calls out in earnest prayer, in verse 28, “Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, ‘O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!’” What will it take for us to seek true fellowship with Jesus? What tragedy will we have to endure in order to turn our hearts and attention back to Jesus? In verse 30 we read, “Then Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.” The final evidence that God had not completely forsaken Samson was in his final act of service to the Lord. The real tragedy in all of this was that Samson, although used greatly, did not live up to his full potential. It was obvious that in the power of the Spirit, had Samson lived a life consecrated to God, the Lord would have used him in even greater ways. Is sinful living robbing us of an opportunity to be used by Lord to our fullest potential for His glory? The life of Samson is one of Scripture’s most amazing examples of God’s grace working in the life of one of His wayward servants. Nonetheless, before we criticize him for his failures, let us not forget that there was one thing about Samson that did please the Lord. We find it in Hebrews 11:32, “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets”. Like Samson, we must be willing to lay down our lives, take up our cross and crucify self, in order to be used in the greatest possible ways while we are here on earth.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).