Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
April 25, 2004 - W0417

No doubt we can learn a lot through our own experiences with pain, broken relationships, or other problems, but God shows us another way to learn wisdom. And thatís through other peopleís experiences. In fact the Bible is filled with the best lessons from which we can garner wisdom. Thatís why itís so important to be doing daily devotions because weíll gain the wisdom of the ages from people whose lives have gone on before us. ìNow these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also cravedî. (1 Cor. 10:6)

Todayís lesson comes from the life of a man named Samson. And it wasnít until the end of his life that he realized his lack of self control and discipline resulted in God departing from his life. So we can learn some valuable lessons from Samsonís experience. And the first is that there are Ö

TWO PAINS IN LIFE:  

?        THE PAIN OF DISCIPLINE AND THE PAIN OF REGRET.

Q1: What lessons have you learned from either a pain of discipline or of regret or   both? Share one experience.

Many struggle with the same issues Samson did; we confuse and misdefine love. Love can be the most divine, most blissful, and most exhilarating experience of life. On the other hand, it can be the most painful, disheartening, or aggravating ordeal we ever survive. It can bring happiness or steal it away. And the reason we tend to love poorly is because weíve learned to love as defined in books, media, and society.  

Like the ocean, love can be peaceful, placid, and beautiful one moment and a fretful tidal wave of destruction the next. Our landscape is riddled with broken hearts, relationships, and families. Love can certainly take a turn for the worst if we barter it for lust, substitute it, and even misdefine it. And a treasure that could have lasted a lifetime is often auctioned off for pennies for what we think we must have right now.

The Bible foresaw this misuse and misdefinition of love and thus leaves us some lessons of the past through Samsonís experiences. Samson was known for his strength, yet teaches us more about life through his weakness. What was his weakness? Women! He was especially drawn to foreign women, Philistine women to be exact.

During this time, the Philistines conquered Israel. So God raised up Judges like Gideon, Deborah, and Samson. God promised Samson extraordinary strength with which to fulfill his calling and free the people of Philistine occupation. So at the very beginning, Samson took a Nazirite vow -- a commitment to live his life for what God called him to. He would be committed and remain devoted to Godís calling. Another condition was that he could not to cut his hair (a due reminder of his calling). However, as the story unfolds, we see that little compromises along the way eventually got him into major trouble.

Q2: What is your definition of love?

The Bible says one day while in Timnah, Samson notices a Philistine woman and wants her for his wife. Against the counsel of his parents, he insists they get this woman for him. He ultimately marries her, but through a series of events, he ends up being sought after for murder and even loses his wife to his friend. So here are three guidelines Samson teaches which can help us avoid the same mistakes and instead gain wisdom. The first isÖ

1.      LISTEN TO GODLY COUNSEL.

ìHe came back and told his father and mother, ëI saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.í Then his father and his mother said to him, ëIs there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?í But Samson said to his father, ëGet her for me, for she looks good to meíî. (Judg. 14:1-3) (See Eph. 6:1-3) Samson was blinded by desire and rejected his parentsí counsel. His ìI have to have herî craving kept him pressuring his parents until he finally got his way. ButÖ

• BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU CRAVE.

Be careful what you ask and crave for. Sometimes like Samson, we push people to get a ëyesí from them even though we know itís not the best thing. For example we push our parents until in exasperation they acquiesce to our demands. Then we say that we got their permission. The reality is that we may have gotten their permission, but not their blessing. You see, parents often have an intuitive sense of looming danger. They canít put their finger on it, yet they sense something is not right. It would be wise for us to heed their advice.

ìThey craved exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soulî. (Ps. 106:14-15) They got what they craved for, but their souls shriveled up. Their lives became empty. On the other hand, when God gives permission, you know itís the right thing after receiving Godly counsel. ìThe blessings of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to itî. (Prov. 10:22)

So to continue with the story, when Samson hears that one of his friends takes his wife, he is angry and sets fire to the Philistine farms. In retaliation, the Philistines kill his former wife and her father. Now Samson is even angrier and seeks revenge. However, by now there is a bounty on his head for murder and for burning the Philistine farms. To make matters worse, his own people turn him in for the reward and he is ambushed by 3,000 Philistines. Yet by Godís grace Samson is able to kill the 3,000 with (of all things) a fresh donkey jawbone. Imagine that! Only by the grace of God could one man slaughter 3,000 with a bone. The sad thing is that he didnít recognize that it was indeed Godís grace that kept him alive and not his own ability.

We too can sometimes mistake Godís grace. We do things we shouldnít and because we donít get caught we think itís alright and continue in sin. One of the things I think heaven values the most among mankind is the fear of God. No itís not a ìscaredî kind of fear. Rather, itís a respect and humility that we feel when we realize just how good God is. Thus we readily fall on our knees, thank Him, and steward His grace well because Heís given us a second chance.

Q3: Have you ever rejected advice from your parents because your desire for something was so great that you were willing to do whatever it took to get it? Or did you accept their advice? What have you learned from it?

However, Samson loses the fear of God and continues to sin and compromise by turning to loose living and prostitutes. Samson begins to lose his identity and gradually his assignment. He doesnít even know right from wrong by this point and falls for a woman named Delilah (from Sorek). So the second lesson Samson teaches us is howÖ

2.      SMALL COMPROMISES BRING MAJOR CONSEQUENCES.

Often our spiritual condition will manifest itself in a physical way. We could be spiritually blinded and wonít be able to see the things of God. Or we may be spiritually malnourished and our life will be depleted of Godís blessings.

Thatís what happened to Samson. He could not see what God was showing him.

The story continues with the Philistines enticing Delilah to betray Samson and find out the secret of his strength. And after much persistence, Samson loses his sense of judgment and finally reveals his secret.

In essence, he equated sexual attraction with love and didnít recognize Delilahís deceitful ways. The same can happen with us if we are not careful. Unfortunately, weíve been raised in a society that teaches us that part of falling in love is being sexually involved. It doesnít make us bad people, but the scripture is giving us specific lessons from the past to retrain us in our thinking and behavior. Then there can be a transformation from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. And though many may be living their lives this way, it isnít the way God designed it. It must not be so with us. You see, when we get involved sexually, we risk losing our sense of judgment. We must be careful because we live in a society that will steal our identity and calling.

ìShe said, ëThe Philistines are upon you, Samson!í And he awoke from his sleep and said, ëI will go out as at other times and shake myself free.í But he did not know that the LORD had departed from himî. (Judg. 16:20)

What happened to Samson was that he did not steward the grace of God. When the Lord reveals to us that what we are doing is wrong and gives us a chance to make it right, we must act. Remember that the enemy is crouching right around the corner. So donít use His grace as an excuse to continue in sin because the wages of sin is death. Instead, let His mercy be a gift in order for transformation to take place.

Q4: Have you ever rationalized doing, saying, or thinking something you knew was wrong? How were you able to recognize Godís grace? Were there consequences and what have you learned from your experience? Would you do things differently with what you know now?

Still Samson did not heed Godís warning and God eventually pulled His hand off Samsonís life. Finally, the third lesson we can learn from Samsonís life is thatÖ

3.      PARTNERING WITH GODíS PROMISES + GODíS TIMING = GODíS BLESSINGS.

ìGod isnít late with His promises, as some measure latenessÖHeís giving everyone time and space to changeî. (2 Pet. 3:9 Mes.)

The Philistines eventually catch Samson and with a red hot poker takes out both his eyes. Hence, his spiritual condition is manifested in physical blindness as well. You see, if we want Godís blessings, we must do it Godís way. We may ask, ìWhat about all the people who donít do it Godís way and seem to be blessed anyway?î Well, letís listen to Solomon, another voice from the past: ìAlthough a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openlyî. (Eccl. 8:11-12)

Even though it may appear others are blessed in their lives by doing what we know is wrong, donít do it. Fear Him and fear Him openly because Godís promises plus His timing equals His blessings. ìThe blessings of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to itî.  

We are people of God and He gives us His promises. Yet what if we have a life that just doesnít seem to be fruitful? Then ask God for truth. Ask Him to show you what needs to be changed. And even though we may stumble and fumble, Godís grace is sufficient for us to become who He wants us to be.

Q5: How would you feel if God suddenly departed from your life?

I encourage you to be a people who wait upon the Lord and just watch what God can do. Seek and listen to Godly counsel and be careful not to compromise your life in order to get your way. Remember that no matter how small they seem, compromises usually bring major consequences. And finally, partner with God for His promises and timing will bring His blessings. Believe it!

Final Q: What one lesson have you learned from todayís teaching and how can you apply it to your life this week?