Parents often try to give their children every advantage in the hope that they’ll become successful adults. As Christians, we especially want to help our kids increase in knowledge of God and His Word, love for Jesus, appreciation for the body of Christ, and the desire to serve the Lord. Children frequently have great enthusiasm for the things of the Lord. But as they grow older, we sometimes see them falling away from the faith.
Samson is an example of such unfortunate drifting. Despite his godly upbringing, sexual temptations eventually became overly attractive to him.
Scripture reveals several occasions where Samson gave in to his lust. For instance, he desired a pagan woman from Timnah, and despite his parents’ warning, he broke God’s command by marrying her (Judg. 14:1-3). A second incident nearly led to his death; he survived only because of his supernatural strength. (Judg. 14:12-20.) Perhaps the most tragic example was his betrayal by Delilah, the ungodly woman he loved. Lust prevented him from seeing her true nature. As a result, Samson was captured and blinded by the Philistines.
Left unchecked, sin will permeate and dominate our lives, while affecting others with its repercussions. The first step toward success is to become aware of our weaknesses. Next, we must admit helplessness to overcome them on our own. Finally, it’s important to acknowledge God’s sufficiency to rescue us. In the end, Samson recognized his need for God and prayed for strength to strike back at the Philistines (Judg. 16:28). If we share Samson’s perspective, we will be able to obey God’s commands and gain victory.
Bible in a Year: Job 39-42
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