Samson's Loss

Judges 16:20 KJV

And he [knew] not that the LORD was departed from him.

Some of the saddest words in the Holy Bible. 

Samson, who had been the champion of God and a judge of his people, didn't even know God had left him.

He supposed he would go out, as so many times before, shake himself like a lion and conquer his enemies. 

Before he knew what hit him, though, he found himself bald, blind, bound and grinding meal in a prison

Not to be too hard on Sampson, but shouldn't he have known what his condition was?

Wasn't he chosen, called and equipped by Jehovah God? 

Should he not have realized that the path he had chosen would lead to his destruction? 

Worse, the loss of his power? 

He began by laying with Delilah, then lying to Delilah and moved on to lying to himself. 

After all of his bad choices, he still convinced himself that nothing had changed, that he was still the man he used to be and that God would empower him in spite of his sin.

In spite of his unfaithfulness. 

In spite of breaking confidence with God. 

Denial? Not just a river in Egypt! 

Have we lost our power and are unaware? 

Do we think we'll just rise up, shake off our enemies as before and "go out as at other times," overcoming the devil?

All the while, unaware that the delicate little dainty we loved, and we convinced ourselves loved us, has taken our strength while we slept in blissful ignorance.

Not by might. Not by power. 

But by subterfuge. 

How? Because we simply gave it away! 

No power on earth could stop Samson. He was stronger than anyone or anything. Nothing could defeat him.

Nothing, except his own pride, lust and bad choices.

You know, the same things that take our power from us when we don't guard it closely. 

Was there redemption for Samson? 

Was there repentance? 

At last, at the bitter end, when Samson was too blind to be distracted by worldy beauty, too broken to hold onto his pride and too full of regret to turn anywhere else but to the One he had betrayed, his power was restored to him.

Oh, sure! His last act was greater than all his previous combined. 

But what a price he paid!

His station, his reputation, his eyes and his life. 

How much suffering and loss could he have avoided if he been more circumspect, prayerful and obedient? 

What could he have accomplished for his people and himself if he simply had not betrayed the promise between himself and Jehovah? 

I've often asked the same question about myself. 

I can only imagine!