There are usually 2 things that spring to mind when I think of Samson - one is his long hair and the other is a tin of Golden Syrup - check out the front of a tin if you don't know what I mean!!
But today's preach highlighted some other things and really brought his story to the here and now.....
Samson was a man who probably failed more than he succeeded but God still used him.
His strengths were that he was 'set apart' from birth - a Nazirite with a promise over his life and his long hair was simply a sign of this. He was chosen and he was called by God. But if we know Christ, we are ALL chosen and ALL called and that is our strength. We are called to be different and distinctive.
Another strength of Samson's was that 'the Spirit of the Lord was upon him'. Time and time again throughout his lifetime, we are told that the Spirit of God had come powerfully to Samson and that is where his strength came from. And if we have the Holy Spirit living in us, then we have that very same strength because he is the very same Spirit.
However, Samson had weaknesses:-
He wouldn't deal with his temptations and because of that his judgement was clouded. His desires weakended him. From this we have to learn that we cannot flirt with temptation and we should make ourselves accountable to people we trust.
Also, Samson chased after the wrong goals. What are you chasing after???? I want to be one who chases after what God would have me chase over.....
At the start of his life, Samson knew that his power came from God alone but over time that thinking shifted and he started believing that his power came from himself and his 'successes'. If God is Lord of your life then He must always remain Lord - it is by His strength that we really succeed (whatever 'success' is) and truly live lives to their fullness.
