09- 30- 10 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Judges 16:18- 21)
SAMSON’S SSS #: 3- LOST GOD’S PRESENCE BECAUSE OF SIN
And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
Have you ever had that experience? You can’t feel the presence of God in your life. Samson dishonor God by not pleasing the Lord who gave him the strength. Samson was brought down to his lowest point. He was humbled by the Lord because of his sin. I believe that Samson repented of the sins he committed and as a result, in verse 22, it appears like Samson was reconciled to God and in the process of time, his Nazariteship or his vow as a Nazarite was beginning to return as his hair began to grow. “Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.” Those were the days when Samson began to feel the presence of God again. In verse 30- “And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.” So, when Samson prayed to God for strength; God granted his prayer and got his strength back. Samson destroyed the whole house full of people. If you will have your last words on your death bed or if you would want to leave a will or have your last prayer; I’m very much sure it will not be like this in verse 28- “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”
Looks like Samson would rather die than live in blindness, used for fun and let the enemies make a sport out of him. He became the enemies’ instrument for their own pleasure and an instrument to dishonor God and give honor to their god Dagon. Samson was a loser, but he did not want to die a loser so he prayed for God’s help and blessing. At least in his last breathed, he died praying and standing against the enemy of God. Take the advice of Apostle Paul: (I Corinthians 15: 57- 58) 57- “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58- “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
