Main Verse: Judges 16

Good morning!

Previously, Samson had escaped the clutches of the Philistines pretty much unscathed except for his pride getting wounded. When he went to Gaza, he ran into a street-smart prostitute named Delilah; she was not only street-smart, she was well connected in her community and could disarm a cobra snake with little to no difficulty. The people in Gaza knew who Samson was and wanted to capture him for what he did to their family and friends in Timnah (Judges 15:1-5). The first night in Gaza the soldiers waited to catch Samson in a moment of weakness only to have him pick up the city gates as though they were shreds of paper and leave Gaza. The next night, the elders turned to Delilah and offered a large cash payment if she could get  Samson to tell her the secret of his strength. Samson, thinking he could have some fun with Delilah at her expense, gave her a half-baked story and then laughed when he was able to escape with ease. Twice more this little dance would go on until Delilah turned on the tears, begged, and pleaded with him until he finally caved in; it was at this point when Samson’s proverbial “Achilles heel” snapped and he became as weak as a kitten.,

Each of us has a “Proverbial Achilles Heel” or that “Chink in our armor” and the Devil knows what it is and exactly how long to poke at it before we give in to our sensual desires (Dr. Rex Allen). Just as Samson was no match for Delilah, nor are we a match for the Devil. One of the Devil’s many tools to keep us in check is to make us think that “we are the only ones who are going through this ____” and so we remain quiet. Only when we learn to talk to people about our weaknesses do we find out that we are not alone others are going through, have gone through, and/or continue to go through the same thing as Paul did (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). Of course, one of the worst things we can do is “play with it” thinking that we have some control over our weaknesses when we don’t; so we play with an illusion, and when it bursts we end up in trouble over our heads. My encouragement for you today is that you would come to grips with your weaknesses instead of hiding them. When you do so, you will learn to set boundaries and firewalls around them so that they will not be your undoing (Job 31:1-4 as an example).

Father,

Undoubtedly there are things about each of us that cause trouble. I would ask that you remove the things in my life that cause me trouble but, they are a part of me and the part that keeps me humble and keeps me going (1 Corinthians 15:10). So please don’t take away my weaknesses but help me to grow strong through them. I pray for my family, my city, my state, and the Republic. I pray that you will be pleased with me today.

In Jesus’ name