God's People: Samson


The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the Lord blessed him. The spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Once Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw a Philistine woman. Then he came up, and told his father and mother, “I saw a Philistine woman at Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among your kin, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she pleases me.” His father and mother did not know that this was from the Lord; for he was seeking a pretext to act against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. ~ Judges 13:24-14:4


Samson...

Not the first young man whose parents objected to his choice of a mate! And certainly not the last.

But Samson's parents had good reason to object to Delilah. She was a Philistine, an enemy. And God did not look favorably to those who married outside the Israelite tribe.

But Samson wanted who he wanted. 

And apparently, God favored the match.

If you know anything about the story of Samson and Delilah, you know that Samson would very much live to regret marrying her. Delilah's goal in their union was to find a way to weaken and defeat him. 

 Not really a great love story.

 And yet, even out of the tragedy of their relationship, when all seemed lost to Samson, God did not forget him.

 Just like God didn't forget Gideon. Or Jacob. Or Moses. Or Abraham. or Joseph.

 Or us when our mistakes or our tragedies seem insurmountable.

 Samson's story doesn't have a complete happy ending. He still dies in the end, along with the Philistines who imprisoned him.

 But at the end, God was with him. There is a definite sense that his end was not the last word of the story.

 Our mistakes and our battles are not the last word of our story with God either. The may not play our as we wish, or give us a happy ending.

 But we won't be forgotten. We will be remembered. We won't be alone. We will be held in the very palm of a God who reminds us that the final story is not one of mistakes or despair.

 But of hope and redemption.
Prayer: God of hope, thank you for not forgetting me. For being with me, and for allowing me to be part of your story. Amen


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