FAITHFUL BUT FLAWED

DAY 234
FAITH FILE: SAMSON
SCRIPTURES: JUDGES 14-16

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
HEBREWS 11:32

When we read Hebrews 11, we find a list of people who lived their lives by faith. There we find Abraham, Noah, David and other saints who lived courageously and faithfully. These people lived in way worthy of emulation, they weren’t always perfect but it is evident that at some point they showed faith and courage. In that same list, we find Samson and that got me kind of curious, why is Samson listed here? I felt that a man who had flaws with women, a bad temper, and a little self-control shouldn’t be on that list.

Flawed

Samson was the kind of man that nagged his parents to get him a wife and burnt fields when the marriage didn’t go as planned (Judges 14&15). He was a frequent visitor in the house of harlots. Samson was the man that did not know that a woman that keeps nagging you about an information, and when given uses it against you is not worthy of your confidence. Because she had proven time and time again that she is a danger to you. Yet, because she nagged, Samson revealed a life threatening secret to his household enemy. And I’m not underestimating the power of women to use their nagging prowess at a man. And the Bible even says it’s better for you to sleep at the edge of the roof, than for you to stay in the house with a nagging woman (Proverbs 21:9). So nagging can be a lot, but Samson was the man that still stayed in that marriage. This was a time when he could have easily given her a bill of divorce, or married some other woman, and it would be okay, yet he still gave her the secret.

Samson was also made powerful before birth. He had an unusual strength, call it a super power. He didn’t really need to be afraid of anything. He already had the capacity to defeat everything. snapping a lion in half was piece of cake for him. It wasn’t the same for David or Daniel. How is this same man listed as a man of faith? I looked at samson’s life and found him unworthy of that honor. But I judged as a man and my judgement is not only uncalled for but it is inherently flawed.

Yet Faithful

Samson was a man of faith. It is only by faith that a man can do God’s will and carry out God’s agenda. He not only had a purpose for his life but he followed it and following is an act of faith and courage. With all of the flaws of Samson, he was obedient to God. When the Spirit of the Lord was moving him to go marry the Philistine woman, his first wife, he went along with that and obeyed. He also was obedient to God’s instruction concerning how he should live his life. He didn’t shave his hair, he didn’t do strong drinks, he honored God with his lifestyle. And everywhere that God sent him to go fight, he went, he fought, and he delivered the nation. He carried out his assignment so much that his own people were not pleased with his actions (Judges 15:9-13) and the Philistines were afraid of him that they were doing whatever was necessary to get him, including using women against him.

Beloved, sometimes we see people’s flaws and we conclude that they do not deserve God’s calling and election. We assess their lives and find nothing deserving. But I’m thankful God doesn’t see the way we do. Flawed Samson is a man of faith because God called him so, God saw faith where we saw flaw. God saw obedience were we saw recklessness. Now, I’m not saying that you should go ahead and live our life anyhow, as long as you’re doing your purpose. No, that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that we can learn from the faith of Samson, that although he had human limitations and flaws, that he still lived his life in obedience, and did what God said. We can also learn from him to be intentional and careful not to allow those same flaws to be the thing that cuts our assignment short, before our fullness of time. Samson had a long life ahead of him but his weaknesses cut it short.

So, today I want you to reflect on the assignment that God has given you and your life in general, and ask, do I believe God enough? Am I courageous enough to do what God is asking me to do, to live my life in the direction of God? And am I also courageous enough to surrender those flaws to God and be transformed? Because, beloved, we have the Holy Spirit today that Samson didn’t have. We have grace today and forgiveness in the blood of Christ that Samson didn’t have. And we can always surrender to the Holy Spirit and allow Him direct the way that we act and behave. In the meantime, keep doing what God is asking you to do, and don’t allow your flaws to stop you. But don’t take for granted the fact that you can still do your purpose with your flaws.

Shalom