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! 

Big Brother is Watching You

The rumor is that the SBC is wanting to change its name to the BBBC. (Big Brother Baptist Convention.) They determined some years back that they could treat Christianity more as a science than a religion. They love setting goals: number of Baptisms, special attendance Sundays, keeping track of your Bible study, etc. You know, like good Thought Police. They want to control our lesson plans, our tithing, our study and, mostly, they just want control!
I’m always reminded of the story in I Chronicles when Satan "provoked David to number Israel."

David thought he could better control Israel by numbering them. (And he was right.) He did this even against the good advice of his chief general. David, like any centralized governor, e.g., Congress, the President, the SBC Executive Board, lives on control. It’s what any centralized body, however well intended, finds itself eventually doing.

It’s the nature of bureaucrats. They are constrained to protect and justify their existence. Bean-counters need beans to count. The more beans the more, dare I say it, authority, power and, yes, money. How else can they justify those really nice salaries?

I really wish that I was wrong and that they are merely concerned about my meditating on the Holy Scriptures, but I am more convinced every day that this "thing of ours," (you know, the Cosa Nostra,) has strayed far, far away from being the spring-board for missionaries that our founders intended way back in the 1850’s. Even if they are totally, seriously just trying to help us, they are totally, seriously out of line!

Far too many are glad to see the SBC move toward pushing, er, I mean, inspiring its members to greater heights of study and prayer. After all, if they don't do it, it won't get done. Right? Far too many are quite content to go along just to get along. Worse yet, far too many never even notice that there is a problem.

We've heard the old adage about boiling a frog, though. So, if we are willing to give up our personal kingship and yield our sacred priesthood, even to our particular denomination, it won't be long before we are cooked. We will become no more than cogs in a machine as opposed to the living cells of a body our Groom always intended His bride to be.

They cannot manipulate us by scientific methodology into being better Christians, a stronger congregation or even save one soul by prying into the prayer life of believers. All they can be is nosey!

We are to love Him and give our obedience to Him and Him alone. This is between me and God and if anyone comes between me and God, well, then, duh, someone is between me and God. What is between He and I is between He and I!

Like Samson who gave his secrets to the wrong person and paid with his life. Like David who desired to know the number of Israel and paid with the life of thousands of his people. All that will be achieved from their schemes is false goals, useless targets and insipid ambitions that will, in reality, bring no one to the cross of Christ. (Remember how to make God laugh?)

Politely refusing to participate in their inane polls can be difficult, but it can also be entertaining. Don't let the perplexed looks and condescending eyes allow others to pry into the very, very personal relationship you share with your Savior.

Beware! It's not enough to simply obey Big Brother. You must love him too!