The Lord's Strength

Based on Judges 14-16

One of the greatest stories of The Lord's strength we can look to is the story of Samson. Although much of the story emphasizes Samson's physical strength, it actually shows the weakness of our physical strength in the flesh as compared to God's strength in the Spirit!

Samson desired to marry a woman of the Philistines instead of the women of his people in Israel. His parents were hesitant to allow this, but Samson was persistent. However odd it must have seemed, God had a plan:

"But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel."
Judges 14:4

Samson originally planned to go with God's plan-to use this this as an opportunity against the enemy. On the way to the area of the Philistines, Samson comes across a lion:

"And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done." Judges 14:6

This is one of many instances where God's strength allows Samson to do the "supernatural." Samson was already strong in the natural, but God continuously used scenarios like this to show how we need to rely on His strength instead of our own! Not only will our own physical strength let us down, but our emotional strength will when tempted if we are not in the right place with God!

"And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people. And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle." Judges 14:17‭-‬18

Samson came up with a riddle about the lion he killed. Not only did he kill it, but honey was found on the inside of the carcass when he went back to it. No one could figure it out, so his wife got the truth out of him...and this wasn't the only time the truth was taken from him through temptation! Samson always found a way to give himself over more easily to the enemy than to God!

"And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails." Judges 15:4

Samson's wife ended up being given to his companion, and so he acted out of frustration and took it out on these foxes! The foxes' tails were on fire, and they ran through & destroyed the crops of the Philistines! The Philistines ended up killing the wife and her father with fire. And so, this situation ended in a victory for God's people, even though Samson needed to rely a more on God's strength rather than his own. God even caused water to come out of a jawbone of a donkey after the honey in the lion...God can always do bigger things than we can!

"And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah." Judges 16:4

Samson is back in the valley instead of on the mountaintop. He finds a woman named Delilah, who will ultimately be the one to take the truth from him once again. She will find out that his greatest weakness is in relying on his own strength rather than God's!

"And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him." Judges 16:19

After several attempts & several lies from Samson, he finally exposed the truth to her. In doing so, he willingly gave himself over to the enemy. He allowed them to shave his head, which symbolized breaking the Nazarite covenant he had with God! He was blinded by them and used as a performer, although he was already spiritually blind and not using his strength for the right reasons anyway...

Samson ends his life in regret. He knows he should have relied on God's strength for more victories throughout his lifetime-so, his greatest victory was in his death:

"And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the Lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life."
Judges 16:30

He put himself between 2 pillars and gave one final thrust, and he died with his enemies...

Who knows how Samson's story could have ended if he relied on God, instead of giving in to his own strength & temptation! How much longer would his life have been? How many more victories would he have won? One thing's for certain-we can allow God's supernatural strength to do what we can't today! It's not by our natural abilities-it's by His strength in His Spirit!