12 March | EVERYONE
"Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, ‘I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.’” Judges 14:1-2
Samson was carried away by his passions. He was like a dry leaf blown by the wind. He did not seek God. He made decisions driven only by his senses. "He saw a woman," came home, and said to his parents, "I have seen a woman." They tried to dissuade him. However, he insisted, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well” (cf. Judges 14:3). He did not say, "God chose her for me," but "she pleases me."
Throughout his life, he toyed with divine grace. Not once or twice, but many times. But having received the divine gift of physical strength, he continued to overcome enemies and escape dangers. When he was bound on one occasion, the Philistines were going to kill him, but “then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands" (Judges 15:14).
The person who plays with the Spirit’s voice runs the risk of numbing the conscience. That is what happened with Samson. He discarded the gift God entrusted to him. Like Jacob, he traded with a blessing. Because of a passion, he fell into the hands of the treacherous Delilah, who, after cutting off his hair, saw the enemy coming and said to him, “‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ So, he awoke from his sleep, and said, ‘I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!’ But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him” (Judges 16:20).
How sad! Samson did not know that God had already departed from him. He played too much with grace, hardened himself against the Spirit, lightly regarded God's Word, and when he needed it most, he found that he was alone.
Could we be in the same danger?
Take Action
Look in the mirror today and honestly ask yourself this question: "Is there an object of desire that absorbs my attention and numbs my consciousness?" Someone close to you may also be able to help you assess whether you are straying from God's ways.