Are you kidding me?

Okay, so I was reading about Samson in the book of Judges. It has left me with many questions and a few thoughts.



The story of Samson is in Judges 13-16.



Here is my opinion on Samson. I think he was a big guy who always got his way. I think his parents spoiled him instead of teaching him to honor and respect the call upon his life.



He knew he shouldn't have married a Philistine. They were the very group of people that he was to be fighting against. So here is the part that amazes me the most. He totally gives into the women in his life. His wife uses her tears and gets him to give her the answer to the riddle. That means that he has to pay the bet and he leaves his wife for someone else to care for.



Then he falls in love with Delilah. The Philistine rulers approach her and offer her a lot of money to find out what Samson's secret was to his strength. So at first he plays the little game. He gives her a few different reasons that are totaly lies. He's able to free himself from her attempts to subdue him. Even though she had been made a fool several times she continued nagging him. She nagged enough that it completely tired him out and he caved in. He told her his secret. And then he was subdued by the Philistines.



It leaves me feeling sad. Why Samson? Why did you give in? Why God? Why do we give in to the nagging around us? Why do we give in to our weaknesses? Why do we keep you from working through us?



Samson knew there was more he could do though. He knew that God could give him that same strength just by asking him. AND HE DID. God strengthened him one last time.

March on, my soul; be strong!

So I started reading the book of Judges the other day. Kevin had been talking about Judges over the last few months because he had used it in a series he was preaching with the youth. Every conversation about the book left me curious to read it again. So I picked it up a few mornings ago and decided to start my day with Judges.

The first day I read about fighting. The second day I read about fighting. The third day I read about fighting. I see a pattern developing here. I am not planning any huge battles. I highly doubt God is calling me to lead a large number of people into combat any time soon.

But the first day I found myself thinking about how God calls us to be faithful and obedient. And when we aren't he continues to come to our aide when we call.

The second day I got caught on the line from Deborah's song "March on, my soul; be strong!"(5:21). She's not kidding. This woman is strong. I don't know her physical strength but come on...she was a judge for Israel. The wisdom she possessed is incredible. I want to be that strong!

Today I read about Gideon. He was threshing grain in a wine press so that it wouldn't be stolen from him by the Midianites. An angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and says, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." I'm sorry but this guy is threshing grain. He's hiding it so that the Midianites do take it from him. What kind of mighty warrior is he really?

I don't know what Gideon was feeling when he heard those words from the angel. I know if it were me I'd have had those crazy butterfly kind of feelings in my stomach. The kind that can be confused with fear and excitement. This was God calling. And if I was called something like "mighty warrior" I'd be feeling pretty strong. Sometimes all it takes is for people you trust or respect to give you a title or word of confidence.

March on, my soul; be strong!