In Spite of Us

Verse of the day: Judges 13:5, “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

The short phrase, “And he shall begin to deliver Israel” has much meaning. The statement tells us a lot about God’s grace. Even before Samson was formed in his mother’s womb, God already knew that Samson would only be useful to Him to begin delivering Israel. In spite of knowing what Samson’s character would be God chose to show grace and use Samson as one of Israel’s judge, for His glory. The encouragement we can reap from Samson’s life is that we see God’s willingness to use us, even with our imperfections. The sad fact of Samson’s life is that God could have used him in an even greater way, had he chosen to live a life that was dedicated to God, and not one that followed after his own desires. The other principle we can draw from this is that God’s plan for our lives may be that He uses us to establish something for His glory that will be completed by someone else. King David was a perfect example of that. King David, although a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22), was not allowed to build the Temple because he had been a man of war and shed much blood before the Lord (1 Chronicles 22:8; 28:3). King David not only shed blood on the battlefield personally, but was also the one who caused Uriah’s death (Bathsheba’s husband) on the battlefield to cover up his own sin (2 Samuel 11). Our personal choices can hinder God’s ability to use us, and may disqualify us from certain ministries, but it does not mean that we are useless to the Lord. Samson limited how God would use him, and King David limited how God would use Him later in his life, but He still used both these men. Although King David could not build the Temple, God used him to gather the materials needed for King David and Bathsheba’s son Solomon to build it (1 Chronicles 22:14-16). The bottom line is that God wants to use each of us for His glory. However, we may limit how God can use us if we are not careful to live lives that are holy and righteous before the Lord. Many of us have felt discouraged because we have had periods in our lives when we have made choices that were sinful, selfish, and in complete opposition to God’s command to live holy. However, God has not discarded us. He wants to continue to use us, even if it means using us to begin a work that will be completed by another one of God’s servant. Whatever it is that God desires to use us for, we must not let our past choices be an obstacle in God’s willingness to use us today and tomorrow (should He tarry and give us another day). The Apostle Paul put it best when he wrote this in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Do not be discouraged, or allow someone else to discourage you from serving God because of poor past choices. If God can use men like Samson, He can certainly use people like us.

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).