Have We Become Like Samson?

There has been some discussion recently about what each of us considered as some of "the scariest" scripture in the Bible. Of course, most would probably say that "blaspheming the Holy Spirit" would rank up near the top of the list (Mark 3:28-30). However, I came across one that startled me a little because, quite frankly, it had never struck me like this before.

It comes out of the book of Judges as part of what we know as "The Story of Samson and Delilah." It is Chapter 16, Verse 20 and it reads, "Then she cried, 'Samson, the Philistines are here!' When he awoke from his sleep, he said, 'I will escape as I did before and shake myself free!' But he did not know that the Lord had left him."

Wow...can we, as believers, actually get comfortable enough in our faith or even become so routine in our walk with God that we don't even notice when we start "drifting away" from Him? Has our ministry lost its vitality...has our influence lost its grasp on others...do we even find ministry all that enticing anymore? Does it even bother us (or convict us) when we miss attending Church on Sunday?

Think about it...you may be assuming "all is well...everything is fine," but seriously consider where things stand at this very moment. Take inventory and see...for instance, when you pray, do you notice the answers don't seem to come as they once did? The positive effect you once had on those around you seem to be negligible or even harmful?

Were you once a friendly and reconciling person, but now have been noticing more problems in your relationships? Have those who have relied on you stopped coming because you're not proving to be as helpful as before? Some things to consider....have we, like Samson, taken our relationship with God for granted?

Spiritual decline is something to guard against daily. If we can get to the point, like Samson, that we don't even realize the Lord "isn't even with us," we need to stop and get our relationship with God back where it belongs. The fact remains: God desires a relationship with us...one that is close, personal, loving and intimate.

May it be our prayer that we would invite God to search our lives to see if there are attitudes, relationships, or activities/habits that need to be removed from our life. When He reveals this to us, we quickly rid them from our life, and walk with God to grow in spiritual strength.

Maintaining a loving, personal, and intimate relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit will allow us the vitality to stay alert and strong so that we don't "fall asleep" like Samson and end up in a ton of trouble. We should never get to the point where we don't even realize "the Lord had left...." Have you become like Samson? Let us all make sure our relationship with God remains loving, personal and close!

Learn from Lydia

There are a lot of interesting mentions of women in the Bible. Whether it is the Old Testament or New Testament, there are many strong, yet oddly missed, lessons from women that we can familiarize ourselves with to strengthen our faith. One such woman is named Lydia. She provides a very powerful lesson for us. We find one particular mention of her in the book of Acts. Acts 16:14 , says that Lydia “reverenced God, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.” Lydia is actually a significant person in the New Testament. She is described as “a dealer in purple goods” (Acts 16:14). Pointing that out is quite a clue. Dealing in “purple goods” was considered a luxury in the ancient world. It is probably safe to say that she was both a woman of great financial means and able to deal successfully with the influential people of her time. She was also noted as having a great gift of persuasion. I think she might have been the only perso...

Tetelestai!

Just before Jesus gives up His spirit on the cross, He utters a very powerful word. The word that He cries out is “ tetelestai” (tih-tellis-tie). When literally translated, this word means, “It is finished.” It can also refer to something completed or accomplished. The word occurs in John 19:28 and 19:30 and these are the only two places in all of the New Testament where it is found. In the John19:28 passage, it is translated, “After this, when Jesus knew that all things were now completed , in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I thirst.’” Two verses later, he utters the word himself: “Then when he received the sour wine Jesus said, ‘ It is finished ,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Did you know that the word tetelestai was also written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show indicating that a bill had been paid in full? The Greek-English lexicon (by Moulton and Milligan) sa...

The Power of Words

We’ve probably have all heard the little tune “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” I learned this as a child, but as I grew older over the years, it became more and more apparent that this small jingle is far from the truth. Words can hurt me. Words can be deadly and even life-threatening. I have concluded that the only form of homicide that goes unpunished in the world today is “verbal homicide.” We can use words to “kill” the self-esteem of another person. We can “kill” their potential or "kill" their momentum and ability to grow and learn. All by the words we use. Proverbs 18:20 (NLT) tells us, “Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction.” Proverbs 11:9 (NLT) also says “With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous.” We need to seriously consider the choice of words we use when speaking to others. We must formulate in our minds, before speaking, wo...

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