Author: mary

Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him.

Judges 13:24

Patience. And perspective. That has been my counsel to numerous people over the years. But neither of those two words sit very well with most of us. We can’t wait for anything. We want everything YESTERDAY!!! Seriously. We are the generation that screams at microwave popcorn. If the local bank has more than two cars in line, we drive off because waiting a couple of minutes is out of the question. Fast food? Hah! That’s a laugh. We fast forward through commercials, skip ahead to the last chapter, risk a ticket because we refuse to stop at the yellow light, and we will literally run people down at the local Wal-Mart just so we can be first in line. Patience may be a virtue for some people but it certainly is lacking for most of the rest of us.

Now, the reason I couple patience and perspective together is because of much of our impatient stems from a lack of perspective. Take the life of Samson for example. God’s call on his life was announced before Samson was ever conceived. The angel of the Lord had told his mother that he would, “be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” No confusion or questions as to Samson’s direction in life. His parents knew his manner of life and his divinely appointed work. From the time that Samson was first conceived his life was already mapped out.

But here’s an important consideration. The Nazarite calling? That went into effect before Samson was ever born. But his work as a deliverer? Samson grew into that role. Don’t believe me? Just look at the text. Samson started off as an infant. He was no child prodigy. No spectacular feats of strength as a teenager. He wasn’t Superboy. Absolutely nothing until he reached the age of marriage, i.e. manhood. And up until that point in time the Bible only gives us one piece of information, “…the child grew up…” So, let’s make sure we are all in agreement here, what did Samson do during the first part of his life? That’s right. He grew. The calling was ever-present but there was a process that could not be bypassed.

That one thought should give each of us incredible comfort. Many things in the kingdom of God require waiting. The reason the Bible talks so much about the value of patience is that you just aren’t going to make it very long without it. Just like Samson, we need to recognize that some things take time. It took time for Samson to grow into his divinely appointed role as Israel’s next great deliverer. In the same manner, it takes time to grow up into spiritual maturity. It takes time to develop godly character and disciplines. Sometimes the outworking of your deliverance and freedom can take time. (That statement will bother some of you. Yes, I believe in instant deliverance. Experienced it myself, personally. But I have also spent years working with addicts whose experience could best be described as a daily “walking out” of their habit.) Inheriting the promises? It can take time. We all want instant change and overnight results but we forget that the God who designed the process is the One who makes a caterpillar remain cocooned before it ever becomes a butterfly.

Waiting for demands faith. That’s the bottom line. We want God to do His thing according to our time-table. But God has a plan and He has a perfectly appointed time. God is never late. But He is never early either. So, let me tell you the same thing I have been telling other people for years (myself included). Be patient. God will not fail you. He remains faithful through every season of life. It might seem impossible right now but in the fulness of time, He will cause all things in your life to work together for the good. That’s His promise. And He never fails to keep his Word. But in addition to being patient, you should also ask God for some perspective. James says it this way, “…if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” If you are confused about the waiting, just ask God for a little clarity. Turn to Him in prayer. Turn to His word with an open heart. Let God grant you perspective. Let God lovingly remind you that just because you have been waiting, it doesn’t mean that He has forgotten. Remember, like Samson, some things just take time.

When he (Samson) returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. So he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating it as he went.

Judges 14:8-9

This story really seems insignificant on the surface, doesn’t it? A leisurely stroll. Some bees. Some honey. A snack on the way to visit your future bride. Seems very safe. Very serene. Almost inconsequential. Or is it? Is there something more at work here than just a hungry man’s desire to fill his natural appetite? In my opinion, this bit of scripture gives us a very clear picture of the way in which temptation works to entrap the child of God. There are at least 4 important points that bear some reflection on our part.

Samson turned aside from the initial path. When he first set off on his journey he had a destination, a predetermined path. He knew where he was going. And he knew how he was going to get there. But somewhere along the way Samson got off course. He strayed from the path. He turned aside and wandered into temptation. It’s really no different for any of us. Turn aside from God’s path and trouble is what you will find. Each of us need to adhere closely to the path that is set before us in the Word of God. Turn aside to other philosophies and pursuits and you set yourself up for disaster.

Samson ignored the potential pain. Me? There is absolutely no way am I sticking my hand into a bee hive. It just ain’t happening. But for Samson the potential pleasure outweighed any possible pain. Now, I’m not going to lie. There is a sense in which sin can be pleasurable. The Bible itself acknowledges that truth (see Hebrews 11:25). But the Bible also makes it clear that the pleasure of sin is only temporary. It passes quickly. And in the end it always brings forth death and destruction. There is always a price to be paid. Always a cost when we make the wrong choice. Foolish is the person who is willing to risk lasting pain for a moment of fleeting and unsatisfying pleasure.

Samson only saw something desirable. Samson saw only the honey. He didn’t really pay any attention to the carcass of the dead lion. He noticed it. But he didn’t take it into account. Otherwise, he would have never eaten the honey. Because of its connection to the carcass, the honey was ceremonially unclean. Samson’s Nazarite vow prevented him from eating anything unclean. That means he either forgot his vow or simply chose to ignore it. Why? Because he saw something desirable, something he wanted. Temptation is a distortion of desire. Nothing wrong with Samson’s hunger. Nothing wrong with honey itself. But in this case the honey was connected to something dead. The bottom line? God had said, “no.” But Samson allowed his own desires to overrule God’s word and will for his life.

Samson moved forward indifferent to his decision. Envision the closing scene. Samson is walking down the road, licking the “unclean” honey from his fingers. Yes, he’s moved back onto the right path. But he’s now taking his sin with him. I think all of us have been guilty of the same error at some point in our own lives. Rather than leaving our sin on the wayside we try to carry it forward with us. We convince ourselves that no one is perfect, that we’re not hurting anyone, that God is full of love and he understands our weaknesses. Samson thought he could sin and just go on living like nothing had ever happened. In time that attitude would prove to be his downfall. Leave your sin behind you. You can’t keep holding on to it.

Temptation is a part of life. You can’t avoid it. But you can prepare for it. We would all do well to evaluate our current spiritual journey in the light of Samson’s own mistakes. Have we strayed from the path of God’s plan and purpose for our lives? Have we chosen the temporary pleasures of sin over the lasting consequences that are sure to follow? Are we choosing our desires over His word and will? And finally, have we bought the lie that we can follow Christ and still hold fast to our sin? Certainly, they are all questions worth honestly considering. Samson should remind all of us that wanting the wrong things may indeed be a part of our human nature. But they don’t have to be the testimony of our lives.