12 March | Teens
«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. » Judges 16: 20
Have you ever woken up and everything seemed blurry, as if your eyes were slow to adjust to the light? Imagine what it would be like to lose the ability to see the wonders around you permanently. Sad, isn't it? Today's story is about Samson, known as the strongest man in the world, who experienced blindness in two different ways.
Samson was endowed by God with supernatural strength, but his heart was “weakened” by Delilah, a Philistine woman. She discovered the secret of Samson's strength: his Nazarite vow, which included not cutting his hair. Delilah betrayed Samson by calling some soldiers to cut his hair while he slept. When he woke up, he was surrounded by his enemies, and he was weak! Strong Samson was captured by the enemies and had his eyes gouged out! Oh, what a pain!
But Samson's real blindness began long before he lost his physical sight. He was blind to the consequences of his choices. He focused on his desires to the point of ignoring the warnings he was receiving. He didn't realize the trap he was falling into. How? He was blind! And we also get blinded when we're going down an evil path. We need to be careful to stay in God's ways. Ask Him to always open your eyes to temptations that will try to divert your vision from Him.
Take Action
Do a test: blindfolded, try to perform a simple task. This will give you a little idea of how challenging it is to lose your sight. Then reflect on the importance of being spiritually vigilant. Pray to God for discernment and protection from temptations that can lead you astray.