Sometimes it takes blindness to see.

There is a true story of a railroad worker filed a $100,000 damage suit against his company, claiming he had been jolted off a train and, as a result of the fall, his legs had become paralyzed. The company hired two detectives who opened a crystal-gazing parlor in his home town. Their advertisement of “Home Readings for Shut-ins” brought a request from the faker to call and tell his fortune. During the visit, the crystal-gazer “saw a lawsuit” in his ball and predicted that, to win it, his client would have to carry a log across a nearby railroad track at dawn the next morning, hopping over on one foot and back on the other. He did, and the detectives, hiding in the bushes, took a movie of his performance.^[1]

It’s sad whenever deception is tried, but sadder still is when we deceive ourselves! Samson thought he could flirt with sin and not be impacted, he was wrong.

Judges 16:21-31 Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison. However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off. Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands.” When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hands, Even the destroyer of our country, Who has slain many of us.” It so happened when they were in high spirits, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may amuse us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he entertained them. And they made him stand between the pillars. Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them. 

Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life. Then his brothers and all his father’s household came down, took him, brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. Thus he had judged Israel twenty years.

First let’s summarize the story of Samson:

God called Samson from the womb and planned to use him to deliver Israel from the grip of the Philistines. Samson’s strength was unparalleled and the Philistines could not stand against him. Many of Samson’s actions were, to say the least, strange, but God continued to use him. Samson fell in love with a terrible woman named Delilah and finally capitulated to her nagging as she sought to know the secret of his strength. He was then taken captive by his enemies, blinded and placed into slavery. At a feast where all the leaders of the Philistines were, he was brought out for their amusement. At this point he asked the Lord to strengthen him again and requested that he be able to destroy his enemies, even though this would cost him his life. God granted this request and Samson killed more Philistines in that moment then he had done throughout his entire life!

No wonder the world treats this as a fairy tale…it is an amazing story and without the reality of our God, I would not believe it either! The problem is the world…and many believers I am sad to say, think they have figured out how God works. In spite of the fact that God warns use clearly in Scripture that we never will?

Isaiah 55:8–9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Job 36:26 “Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted.

Romans 11:33–34 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?

God does what He does because that is what He wants done! The minute any of us bring the accusation of “well who does he think he is?” exposes the reality that we do not really understand the word GOD. He doesn’t have to explain Himself, I am thankful He allows me to understand some of Who He is and what He does! A very precious verse has brought the proper balance in my life:

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

As we end this historical account of one of the physically strongest men that ever walked the earth, we should remember that all that strength was overcome by two very small parts of the body…his eyes! No one can know the true heart of Samson except God, so we should not try to judge his love for the Lord. What we can do is discern from his actions that he had a terrible weakness led by his eyes for women. We need to remember that a weakness does not show the true heart of a person, when we do that we place ourselves in the seat of Judge! That seat is reserved for only One, so we need to be careful. Clearly Samson blew the opportunity that God had for him, but we need to remember from God’s perspective…because He knew what was in Samson’s heart…God still accounted to him righteousness based on his faith. The book of Hebrews attests to this:

Hebrews 11:32–34, 39 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight…And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised

It is proper for us to see Samson as a flawed human being that, because he trusted in God, was still used and honored by the Lord. This should bring all of us sinners great encouragement. We, too, are flawed, but that need not limit what God can do                                   in our lives.

One question that begs to be asked: was Samson’s strength really in his hair? Nothing is stated clearly in Scripture about that, so I will share my opinion…Nathan chapter 1, verse 1…remember this is just my opinion. Samson’s hair was the sign he had as his commitment from birth to be God’s servant, when he treated it with such contempt by telling Delilah, God departed and so did his miraculous strength. When his hair grew back, reaffirming the sign of a Nazirite, he did not rely on it, he cried out to God:

“Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God”

I believe it was his faith, just as it is with us. This is the key in our walk with God.

We should also take note that it was his eyes that betrayed him and when he lost them, he finally began to see! Samson asked God to help him destroy his enemy, even if it meant he would give his life for it.

Lastly, the Philistines made a terrible error when they chose to glorify a false god for what they had accomplished. Throughout Scripture, of all our sins, the one God has no tolerance for is idolatry! The quickest way to bring judgment on yourself is to give some dead rock, crystal or piece of wood the honor and glory that belongs only to the Creator! The record is clear on this and we should take heed!

Acts 12:21-23 On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

1 Corinthians 10:7–8 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.”  Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.

Romans 1:21–32 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.  And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

The next time we blame God for all the suffering and woes of this world, we need to look straight down at our own feet, because that is where the accountability lies! God allowed us our choice of who to honor and how to live. When we choose Him, He brings life! Sadly, mankind chose…and continues to do so, our own way…God got out of the way, yielding to our stubborn choice of “self” rule. We have inflicted the ugliness, the pain and regret that sin brings on ourselves.

With all the mistakes and sins Samson committed, the reason he, in the end, did what was right, is because he kept his wits about Who God is! That reality brought his internal compass aright, and it is a lesson we must get! 

Meditation: When was the last time you were away from the Lord? What was the reason? What did you do to restore your fellowship? Are there some specific sins you are struggling with? What do you think God wants you to do? Can you trust God to use you in spite of the fact that you struggle with sin? 

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^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 321). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

Warp speed is great for Star Trek…but not for the brain!

Probing Proverbs 12:8 A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.

When most people hear a statement that makes sense, they can accept it, even if they do not agree with it. But when someone states something that sounds twisted, our opinion of that person is affected.

These are actual statements; the names have been left out because the people that made them have already been ridiculed!

A Mayor said answering accusations that he failed to pay his taxes: "I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law."

A Congressman said at a press conference to answer questions about the House Bank scandal. "They gave me a book of checks.  They didn't ask for any deposits."

A Presidential advisor explaining the $1000 in cash and watches two journalists gave him after he helped arrange a private interview for them with First Lady. "I didn't accept it. I received it."

A Mayor defending his city: "Outside of the killings, our city has one of the lowest crime rates in the country."

A member of a pesticide review board, on chlordane "Sure, it's going to kill a lot of people, but they may be dying of something else anyway."

Mayor of a city: "The streets are safe in our city. It's only the people who make them unsafe." 

A chief economist of the World Bank, explaining why the US should export toxic wastes to Third World countries "I've always thought that under populated countries in Africa are                   vastly under polluted."

When you hear things like this you just shake your head! Now, before I go on, let me deal with a “hot” issue in the Church. “Judging!” I cannot count the times that I have heard Christians misapply the statements from Scripture about not judging others. Sadly, most times it is done from a spiritually arrogant attitude by the one, who in reality is judging you!

Jesus never said we are to “check our brains” at the door! We, of all people should use wisdom, especially because we can ask for it from God:

James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

Far too many believers, due to a terrible interpretation of what Jesus said about judging, act like we are not to assess anything a person says or does. That is not what Jesus was talking about. Throughout all the Scriptures it is clear we are not to condemn individuals, that is only for God to do, nor are we to assume we know the motives, again only God knows the heart. However, we are commanded to use wisdom and discernment! Taking a stand on what Scripture plainly calls sin, is not judging, it is simply stating the Truth we believe from God’s Word. 

NOW, the problem comes with the WAY many do it! Whenever I share from the Word to those that are asking, I do it firmly, but I try to do it gently. I make it clear they can disagree and do not have to see the Word of God as authoritative, that is their choice and they will be accountable only to God for that. When I witness actions or hear statements that expose evil or what the Word of God would call wrong, I have the right to assess it that way. That does not give me the right to demean individuals, think less of them or condemn them. I do have the right to take the stand that God’s Word calls such actions or beliefs wrong, if the Scriptures clearly state so. It should never be personal nor should I sound superior. If anything, if the Holy Spirit is in control of the conservation, I should be concerned for the individual that is in error. That error could cost them greatly in eternity! For example, I do not understand why individuals who disagree about their beliefs in faith feel the need to kill? What that exposes to me is their insecurity about their own beliefs. There was a famous comic I used to really enjoy, but then he decided he was the EXPERT on truth and began insulting and demeaning those that do not agree with his opinions. Interestingly, he would state that I am an idiot to believe what someone else wrote, but he wants me to accept his rendition of truth as Truth! If I don’t he does not just agree to disagree, he attacks, demeans and enjoins others to ridicule. I feel sorry for this man, to be so insecure that you must hurt others.

This Proverb puts forth a thought that has been proven over time. Two of the key words bring the truth right to us.

When someone is “sensible” others will notice it. They will value and even appreciate that person’s point of view. Consider what this word communicates:

  

"Sensible" in Hebrew is

[sekel /seh·kel] - relates to an intelligent knowledge of the reason. There is the process of thinking through a complex arrangement of thoughts resulting in a wise dealing and use of good practical common sense. It also involves one in what he considers, or pays attention to. Still another usage of the verb is to have insight or comprehension. The man who would boast of anything should boast that he has insight into, and knows the Lord!

No matter the personality; serious, comical, light hearted, disciplined or easy going, this person has a depth in their thought process that seeks real answers for real problems, genuine value in the issues of life and simple approaches to difficult circumstances.

That is what makes this person held in admiration by those around him.

On the other hand, the individual that thinks warped, or has a ”twisted” view of truth will later find himself or herself disrespected and even ridiculed by others. If you think by saying “what is truth” you are showing your brilliance, Pilate did that because he did not want to deal with the truth! Most of life’s truths are very apparent, and we try to avoid dealing with them when the truth may make us uncomfortable! This person, because they twist truth, is seen by others in a negative way, which in a sense makes them despised. Consider what this word means:

"Despised" in Hebrew is a compound word:
(Labuz) -  לְ (lĕ) – Toward; Those around this person are feeling toward them these adjectives -  בּוּז [buwz / booz] - Contempt, put to shame; be laughed at; despise to the point of rejection; to be regarded by others as unimportant or insignificant.

This is a pitiful situation! The individual that is “waxing lyrical” thinks they are so profound and deep…but those around them may agree they are deep, but not in knowledge, perhaps deep in nonsense!

Remember this golden rule: “When approaching Truth: when the plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense, lest you make nonsense!

Matthew 15:11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

Luke 6:45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Meditation: What about you? Do you spend your time trying to sound profound, or discovering what is profound? Is Truth subjective to you or objective? Do you have standards and where do they come from? When you speak on “weighty” issues what do others think? Why?