WILD • Born To Be Wild – 4/14/24

Samson was set apart by God from birth. His purpose was to deliver Israel from Philistine domination. He was to maintain the vows of a Nazirite: don’t touch anything dead; don’t touch grapes or anything made from grapes, and do not cut your hair. God’s anointing was on Samson, but Samson wandered from his vows. Although Samson was endowed with supernatural strength, he had weaknesses that brought about his demise.

These same weaknesses that caused the powerful Samson to go down, cause many of us to go down as well. First, lust was a problem for Samson. Lust is a strong, powerful desire; it is compelling. Samson’s desires drew him to fall for a Philistine woman, who was off limits to him. He was to marry a woman who shared his faith, not a heathen. Lust makes the strong weak when they surrender to its alure.

Next, Samson’s sense of entitlement made him weak. Although his parents urged him to choose a wife from among the Israelites, he proclaimed, “She is the right one for me.” regarding the Philistine woman. He didn’t consider what was right for him in God’s eyes. He deserved to have what he wanted, right? Or so he thought, without considering the consequences. He also ate honey from the decaying carcass of a lion. His Nazirite vow prohibited him from touching anything dead, yet it looked good to him, and he ate it. When food from a decaying carcass looks good, that’s a sign that logic has flown out the window and wild ideas make sense.

Thirdly, Samson’s pride was a weakness. He thought he could handle himself while straying from the rules God had placed upon him. He didn’t see that his way was the path to destruction. He held a feast among the Philistines to celebrate his marriage. He partied and caroused with the enemy. You cannot become part of a culture that is foreign to your God and to your vows without falling into its ways. Pride comes before a fall!

It is only with God’s strength that we can hold fast to our vows. In and of ourselves we are all weak. Recognizing our weakness is the first step to relying on God’s strength. Paul tells us that he found in his weakness the greatest strength, because of his reliance on God. “My grace is all you need,…”

Scriptures: Judges 14:1-2, 5-6, 8-9, 10; 2 Corinthians 12:9

Verse: (2 Co 12:9) But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.”

Questions: Explain a time when in weakness you found strength in Christ. How do you keep from going down, when you are tempted by your weakness? Why does God not take away our weaknesses? If he did how would it be beneficial? How would it be detrimental? 

Prayer: Dear Lord, it is in your strength that I try to walk the path of righteousness each day. Help me to recognize and run from Satan’s attempts to take me down. Give me clear vision to see where the path of weakness leads. I want to be pleasing to you, my Savior and my God! In Jesus Name I pray, amen.