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“God's Presence With Us”
Categories: Shepherd's Corner“The woman bore a son called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him” Judges 13:24
A male baby was born as a gift of God to Manoah and his wife. He was dedicated at birth as a lifelong Nazirite, which meant he could not cut his hair, drink strong wine, or touch a corpse. Ultimately Samson violated all three restrictions, but in Samson’s youth the Lord blessed him. God give him amazing strength and unbelievable victories. While growing up I would see the Bible movies about this man Samson and I was so impressed by the strength given to him by God. I would ask God to give me the strength of Samson and the wisdom of Solomon. This was my daily prayer while growing up in my youth. Have any of you ever had this same desire?
You see, Samson knew Gods’ great blessing on his life, but this man's susceptibility to sensual pleasures was his downfall. Let us learn from this. Samson was defeated not by his enemies, but by his lack of self-control. This is something to ponder. Sadly, he was unaware when the Lord departed from him (Judges 16:20). It is possible to be so preoccupied and distracted from God that we, like Samson, do not even notice the Lord’s strength departing from us. Our God is not obligated to save us from adversity we encounter as a result, especially if we have brought it on ourselves.
Sadly, Samson ultimately forfeited God’s blessing on his life and ended his days in humiliation and grievous bondage. Like a lot of people, Samson‘s life had held great promise, yet he took God’s blessing for granted. As a result, Samson's downfall was great which is a pity.
As I grew and matured as a man I knew He had blessed me with great natural strength and I remember what happened to Samson. Not only did God bless me with natural strength, but I also received mental and spiritual strength as well. With these blessings come great responsibilities and accountabilities. We all have these strengths and will always have these blessings if we stay obedient to His Word.
What lesson does Samson’s life have for us today? God is my Helper - Psalm 54:4; God is My Salvation - Psalm 62:7; God is My Strength - 2 Samuel 22:23, Habakkuk 3:19; God is My Refuge - Psalm 46:1; God Gives Wisdom and Knowledge - Ecclesiastes 2:26; God Knows Your Heart - Luke 16:15;
His Presence with Us, AMEN!
