Consider God's Plan

Judges 14:1-4 -  Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.  When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife."  His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me."  (His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)

 

Samson grew to be old enough to marry…and a young woman did catch his eye…but she was a Philistine.  So he asked his parents to arrange the wedding…saying simply that this woman he had his heart set on was the right one for him.  It was against everything his parents had  been taught….and must have been very hard for them to accept….but they agreed…not knowing that God had somehow planted this desire in Samson’s heart.

 

The rest of the chapter goes on to explain that Samson kills a lion on the way to visit the town where he would marry.  A lion attacks him…but is quickly destroyed when the Spirit of God embeds itself in Samson again….showing the great strength that God had planted in this Nazarite.  The story gets even stranger as he travels back by the carcass later…and notices some sweet honey has been deposited by a swarm of bees.

 

I’m not convinced that Samson has a clue what God intends to do with his life…for he seems to get lost in how he can use the craziness of the story to build his wealth…not promote the God who gave him the strength to kill the beast…or thank the God who fed him that wonderful honey.  Samson forms a riddle…and sets his new wife up to be harassed by her tribe….as they threaten to destroy her home and everything her father had if she did not help them solve the riddle.  Who could blame her for being more loyal to her family than her new husband…and convincing him to tell her the meaning of his strange riddle.

 

The anger Samson feels toward his new wife destroys his new marriage.  His bitterness festers so that he walks away from this woman he once thought was the right choice. But this is after he goes to a neighboring town to kill 30 men…so he can keep his bet…and deliver 30 robes to the family of the wife he no longer trusted.

 

I see myself in this story…not because I make crazy bets…or kill lions...or eat sweet honey from the carcass later…or murdered 30 men.  I see myself in this story….because I don’t always stop to consider God’s plan for my life …and end up making crazy choices because I don’t wait on his clear answers.  Sometimes I even miss the clear presence of his spirit...and totally miss out on the reason he put me where he did in the first place.  I too let anger and bitterness influence more than one decision…and have walked away from more than one commitment in my life.  Thank God that he is a forgiving God that keeps chasing us till we get it right.  This is not the end of Samson’s story…and God is not through using him…even though he has clearly made some poor decisions here.  And it proves to me that every morning I can wake with a new resolve to listen to his voice….hear his clear words of direction...and try once more to get it right. 

 

Father…I thank you for your forgiveness and grace.  I thank you for the way you never give up on me…and continue to work in my life...even though I have clearly made mistake after mistake that has slowed your ability to use me to do your work. I ask your renewed forgiveness of any decisions I have made without your guidance…and pray that you will keep my heart…and my ears….and my eyes wide open….so I will notice your spirit when you send it to help me.  Help me father to wait on your answers…and not try to work ahead of you.  Amen.