It’s okay not to be okay

Judges 14; Jeremiah 27; Mark 13; Acts 18

God-appointed leaders are not always the wisest owls in the woods. Judges 14 describes some of Sampson’s antics (he was an Old Testament judge) and proves this NT passage:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:26–29)

This is a humbling comfort for a couple of reasons. The obvious is that it applies to me. God isn’t interested in the worldly standards that I was raised with. He cares nothing for high IQ’s, rank, prestige, human power, or anything else that I might accomplish or achieve. He picks those who have nothing to boast about, the weak and even those despised by their society. If I want fame and popularity, being a Christian is not the route to take.

Sampson did some silly things. He married outside the faith of his family and against the commands of God. He devised a riddle during his wedding celebrations with a wager and lost it because Philistine the wedding guests threatened his wife with death if she didn’t worm the answer out of him. She wept and whined until he told her, and then he attacked several Philistines to obtain what he needed to pay off his debt. He refused to go back to this wife and she was given to another man.

I can think of a few silly things in my past too. While I’d like to think that God chose me because of my better accomplishments, His Word says otherwise. His choices are not based on anything that I might be proud of but could be on the stuff that makes me blush. This is humbling.

The other reason this story and the NT word about God’s reasoning are comforting is that they explain a lot of what is happening in our world. We have leaders in many countries who think that Christians are the enemy. They overlook the good that is done, schools started, care given and so on and instead persecute God’s people and put many to death. Their view of what is valuable to their nation seems warped to me and in a very real way, the weak and foolish who are chosen by God are a mockery to this so-called wisdom of the world. God used a silly man like Sampson to defeat the enemies of His people. He also can use the weak people who are willing to die for their faith to heap judgment on today’s enemies, even those that seem to do things that please most of the population.

I realize this is a statement hard to understand. For me, it is about God’s value system, not mine and certainly not what the world seems to value. To God, human power and reasoning is full of sin and selfishness. Politicians lie to cover their mistakes, make outrageous claims about their power, and look down their noses at the people God has chosen for His children. In contrast, the people of God whose faith is strong will tell the truth even if it means death, are blessed with God’s strength in our weaknesses, and pray for those who have rejected the One who created them. I am humbled that God has put me into His family, that He did not leave me in that value system where I thought I was somebody when I am not.

In the end of the story, Sampson gave his life to do what God chose him to do. Others have been like him, weak in many areas yet used by God to do mighty things. As my devotional book says, Spirit-given power in one dimension of life does not by itself guarantee Spirit-impelled discipline and maturity in every dimension of life. And this is a humbling reality.

APPLY: Jesus is the vine, my source of all good things. In myself, I can do nothing and am nothing. God’s ways are not my ways yet even in this I can see His wisdom. Pride ruins people. He knows what I need to be humbly aware of my need to rely on Him and abide in Him. I must be glad that He chose me for His reasons and not for any from my old value system.

 

Nothing can thwart the will of God

Judges 15:1–17:13; Philippians 4:2–9; Psalm 69:18–70:5

The story of Sampson is a sad story. While God used him to bring down the Philistines, it was not with much obvious obedience on Sampson’s part. He married a Philistine woman, did some foolishness and lost her, set the Philistine fields on fire, and for that his ex-wife was killed. Then he was drawn to a prostitute and finally Delilah who ultimately was his complete downfall.

When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. (Judges 16:18–22)

Sampson wound up ‘entertaining’ his enemies, and in the process of this humiliation, his strength returned long enough for him to pull down the supporting pillars of the place they were gathered. He killing thousands, but died in the process.

I have trouble imagining him as a “judge in Israel” for twenty years, but again, he is mentioned in the NT as a hero of the faith. He did believe God. And even though his life was filled with much folly, God used even his mistakes for His purposes. Sadly, after his death came these words, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6) They are repeated several times in the book of Judges. It was a low time in the lives of God’s people.

In the NT reading, it seemed a low time for Paul. He was in prison but writes a joy-filled letter to the church at Philippi. He knows the Lord is in control of everything, even his incarceration. He tells them not to worry. Instead, he says, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5–7)

His encouragement to them remains valid. Yesterday, I awoke feeling empty, unable to think straight, and without any hope for the day, but this angst did not relate to anything that had changed since the day before when I was joyful. This clued me in to the power of the liar, Satan. He was suggesting things to me that are not true. In the name of Jesus Christ, I rebuked him and told him to get lost. Then I prayed with thanksgiving about things that are true, and after that prayed the usual daily petitions and praises. God never fails. When I pray as Paul said, God’s peace overwhelms me and guards me. It is a peace that surpasses understanding as I’ve had it even when life was totally awful. Yesterday, I was deeply joyful the remainder of the day, clear-headed and able to function. Praise God.

This morning I wonder what changes a prayer like that might have made in the short and sad life of Sampson. Even though God used him, this man was angry all the time. In contrast, David (who came later in Israel’s history) knew about prayer. He was also challenged by enemies who wanted to kill him. He prayed about his situation with words that often are a mirror of mine when I am in distress. He knew the answer would come even before he prayed because he said, “For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.” (Psalm 69:33) Then he praised God and said....

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!” May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay! (Psalm 70:1–5)

God did deliver David. Like Sampson, and like me, his prayer wasn’t about his performance, but about the grace and goodness of God. For that reason, I cannot fault poor Sampson too much because God doesn’t determine our worth before blessing us. Instead, He blesses us because He is a loving and merciful God. For that, I am eternally grateful!