“The woman bore a son called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him”  Judges 13:24

A male baby was born as a gift of God to Manoah and his wife. He was dedicated at birth as a lifelong Nazirite, which meant he could not cut his hair, drink strong wine, or touch a corpse.  Ultimately Samson violated all three restrictions, but in Samson’s youth the Lord blessed him. God give him amazing strength and unbelievable victories. While growing up I would see the Bible movies about this man Samson and I was so impressed by the strength given to him by God. I would ask God to give me the strength of Samson and the wisdom of Solomon. This was my daily prayer while growing up in my youth. Have any of you ever had this same desire?

You see, Samson knew Gods’ great blessing on his life, but this man's susceptibility to sensual pleasures was his downfall. Let us learn from this. Samson was defeated not by his enemies, but by his lack of self-control. This is something to ponder. Sadly, he was unaware when the Lord departed from him (Judges 16:20). It is possible to be so preoccupied and distracted from God that we, like Samson, do not even notice the Lord’s strength departing from us. Our God is not obligated to save us from adversity we encounter as a result, especially if we have brought it on ourselves.

Sadly, Samson ultimately forfeited God’s blessing on his life and ended his days in humiliation and grievous bondage. Like a lot of people, Samson‘s life had held great promise, yet he took God’s blessing for granted. As a result, Samson's downfall was great which is a pity.

As I grew and matured as a man I knew He had blessed me with great natural strength and I remember what happened to Samson.  Not only did God bless me with natural strength, but I also received mental and spiritual strength as well. With these blessings come great responsibilities and accountabilities. We all have these strengths and will always have these blessings if we stay obedient to His Word. 

What lesson does Samson’s life have for us today? God is my Helper - Psalm 54:4; God is My Salvation - Psalm 62:7; God is My Strength - 2 Samuel 22:23, Habakkuk 3:19; God is My Refuge - Psalm 46:1; God Gives Wisdom and Knowledge - Ecclesiastes 2:26; God Knows Your Heart - Luke 16:15;

His Presence with Us, AMEN!

In the beginning, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26) In Romans 3:23 it tells us: “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

 We all have default settings. Let me share a few thoughts on this. Default settings on a computer are the hardware or software controls preset by the manufacturer. Incorrect default settings can result in strange looking documents, messed up applications, and bogged down computers. Have you ever unthinkingly hit “yes” when your computer asked you something, and then realized you’d made a mistake? The result can be chaos.

 We have personal default settings as well. The default setting, we have about an issue includes the position from which we operate, the mind-set that organizes our thinking, and the context we provide ourselves for dealing with problems and challenges. These are determined by two realities:  we’re made in His image, and we’ve been infected by sin. Spiritually, we’ve all benefited from and struggled with some of our default positions. Some are great: Jesus is Lord; He is trustworthy; He works everything together for good. These are healthy default positions that bless us and others.

Some defaults can hurt God, others, and also ourselves. Sinning, being wounded, or living in error can create default settings that make us react unrighteously, hear others incorrectly, and come to inaccurate conclusions. When we act on those conclusions, we can get into a world of hurt.

 So, here is the Good News.  The good news is that, like computers, our default settings can be changed by our choices and the blood of the Lamb. Today, let's realize that many of our natural reactions are based in wounds that God wants to heal and in wrong thinking that He is working to correct.

 In closing, you have heard people say, “I am too old to change,” or “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but I say this: “Lord, thank You for loving us despite our shortcomings in our lives. We are still created in Your image. You can heal us and correct our way of thinking if we will listen and heed your ways. We thank you for this and all other blessings. Amen.”

It is important to look at things from God’s point of view.  “Of the sons of Issachar who had the understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32)  In the words of Paul, “Brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself as examples for you. I did this so that you could learn from us the meaning of the words, ‘Follow what the Scriptures say.’ Then you will not brag about one person and criticize another .” (1Corinthians 4:6)  The sons of Issachar are famous for understanding what was going on around them. Ignorance, for them, was not bliss; they wanted wisdom. Ignorance is nor bliss for us either, especially as those called to be faithful citizens of His kingdom.

 In this present world of turmoil, trials, and trouble on every hand, we have the opportunity to teach and offer hope through a different lens.  Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.“  The Christian life is a different life. It runs completely contrary to the way the world generally thinks and operates. Rather than glorifying God, the world rejects God, and His standards.  Furthermore, the world has no hope, no remedy for evil. Society cannot transform a sinner into a saint. And despite all of its feigned optimism and confidence in itself, the world is limited, finite, and spiraling downward.

The world needs hope, and because the world is bewildered by those of us who do have hope we must be prepared to provide explanations for our confidence and joy. Why do we treat Christ so reverently? Why do we have hope in the face of such despair? Christians are confusing to this world!  Simply put, this world is not our home and our peace comes from the inside out because of the saving grace of our Lord.  We trust in the Lord’s unfailing love (Psalm 52:8(b). We cast our cares on the Lord and he sustains us and never lets the righteous fail. (Psalm 55:22) Oh what joy, peace, and hope that provides!

 In closing, are we prepared to live a life that stands out in our fallen world? Are we ready to answer its questions? 

We live in a world that often breeds anxiety and fear. When we come face to face with tough times, we may fall prey to discouragement, doubt, or depression. Our Father in Heaven has other plans. Our God has promised that we may lead lives of abundance, not anxiety. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”  God's word instructs us to “be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6). So the question is, how can we put our fears to rest? We can put our fears to rest by taking them to God and leaving them there.

As you face the challenges of daily life, you may find yourself becoming anxious, troubled, discouraged, or fearful. If so, you must turn every one of your concerns over to our Heavenly Father. The same God who created the universe will comfort us if we ask Him so let us ask Him, trust Him, and then watch in amazement as your anxieties melt into the warmth of His loving hands.

Worry is a complete waste of energy. It solves nothing and will not resolve the anxieties on your mind.

David states in Psalm 22:19, “But You O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to Help Me!”  Psalm 22 immediately reveals that David was in trouble. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Have you asked our God this question as David did? David boldly complained that God was not hearing his prayers. Have any of you felt this way doing this pandemic?  Maybe your circumstance does not look good right now. In times of crisis, however, what others are attempting is not as important as what God is doing. When we focus on God even in the worst of predicaments, we always discover that He is near and that His presence is our deliverance.

Right now, we need to focus on God’s presence right where we are. Due to the pandemic, a lot of us are restricted to home because of health, age, medical condition doubt, fear, loneliness, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, or broken relationships. We must watch His work, His perfect plan in His perfect way in His perfect time. God is in control and let us nor forgot this! Amen!

Faith is the power tool of a Christian. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3)

Let me also share this with you, “Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” (1Chronicles 20:20)

Every life, including yours and mine, is a series of successes and failures, celebrations and disappointments, joy and sorrow. We all have experienced these things, and as long as we live in this life on God's good earth we will experience these things again. You see, every step of the way through every triumph and tragedy God will stand by your side and strengthen you if you have faith in Him.  Jesus taught His disciples that if they had faith, they could move mountains. You can too!  Do you have mountains in your life?

When you place your faith, your trust, and indeed your life in the hands of Christ our Lord, you will be amazed at the marvelous things He can do with you and through you. So strengthen your faith through praise, through worship, through Bible study, and through prayer. Trust God’s plan.  With Him all things are possible, and He stands ready to open a world of possibilities to us if we have that unconditional faith.

In closing, sometimes this world can be a fearful place, full of uncertainty and doubt. However, our Lord can overcome any challenge.

Father, give us faith and let us always remember that with Your love and Your power, we can live courageously and faithfully today, tomorrow, and the rest of our lives. Amen!