Again Samson seems very selfish, and self motivated. Even when he prays to God for strength, he is doing it out of revenge for the Phillistines gouging out his eyes.....not because he wants to bring Glory to God. And yet, God is using his as part of his plan.
This is a great reminder to me that the people around me that I don't care for, or that don't act how I think they should act.....can still be an intricate part of Gods plan, and therefore command my respect and grace. Most times, I find that really hard!
The other thing in this chapter is the "fool me once shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me." I don't even know what you say when you try to fool me for the third time. Look, wives can be very persistent with their opinions/requests....BUY WHY WOULD HE EVER TELL HE THE TRUTH! It makes no sense. Was he really that tired of the nagging? Or, was this another part of God's plan, that he needed be subdued....to be in the temple......to kill the Phillistine leaders....to bring down that empire.
Here's my new outlook on the behavior of others;
If someone is acting really strangely, and out of the ordinary. I won't automatically assume they are crazy, maybe they are on a mission for God. Wouldn't it be great to be able to recognize that?......and join in the CRAZINESS?
wow, great take. I was struggling with what the message was to me this morning so I was hoping you had something good to share. Sampson seems pretty misguided yet God still uses him in his plan. Its a great outlook to stay away from judging without knowing all the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteSampson would fit right in with today's society, his behavior is heavily influenced by his lust for women--he could be a politician, a golfer, a movie star---maybe things today aren't too different than back then. Guys have been messing up for thousands of years.