Judges 16:6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
Part of me is truly incredulous that Samson keeps putting himself in these situations. How can a man set aside for God be so selfish and stupid? Another part of me is wrestling with fear, anxiety, and bitterness—again—pertaining to situations that should already be laid to rest.
Judges 16:15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me?…”
Just like Samson, I keep putting myself in this situation because I keep rehashing and fretting and worrying. Just like Samson, when I focus on myself instead of my God, life slips off-kilter. Anger, bitterness, fear come with an incredibly negative physical sensation. I feel like it’s God’s way of reinforcing that I should NOT be dwelling on these things leading to those emotions, so why do I find myself wrestling with them again?
Judges 16:27 Then Samson prayed to the LORD, “Sovereign LORD, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. I fully intended to write a scathing review of weak-minded Samson, but You have shown me that when I allow myself to get sucked up into negative emotions, I am no better. Thank You that You are the antidote to this spiraling abyss. Help me to focus on You—Your love, Your mercy, Your hope, Your will, NOT my own. Draw me closer. Amen.
Judges 16:30 …Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.