What Does Strong Look Like

Read Judges Chapter 13-16

Remember the story of Samson? How he was so strong and everyone was trying to find out his secret to his strength. I was reading in my devotional a few days ago about how pictures of Samson portray him as a big muscled man, ( a strong man) but if that was the case then people would not be trying to find out where his strength came from, they would see his muscled frame. When we look at Samson as a big muscled weightlifter looking guy we miss the point of where his strength comes from. His strength came from a covenant made from God with his parents. Some of you like myself probably saw the same picture of Samson, and missed the point as well.

This word in my devotional was very interesting to me as to how and who we look to for our strength. We have a covenant as well for our strength. We do not have to lift weights to build our strength, we do not have to take tai kwon do classes to be strong. We just need to put our faith in Jesus as our provider, our protector, and trust in Him to deliver our victory. AMEN!

We are but like little ants that can be strong or can be crushed. When we choose to have faith in Christ, we choose to be strong and not weak. People will look at us and wonder where do they get their strength to go on. How can someone so petite be so strong? What is their secret?

Well, it is no secret, our strength comes from trusting in the Lord and placing our faith in Him that He said we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. AMEN!

Judges 13 v 5...."because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.".....

Then he marries Delilah who betrays him.

Judges 16 v 5...The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver".....

Then Delilah shaved his head while he slept. Do you see the other issue in this story. Don't sleep with the enemy. In other words don't hang out with the wrong crowd, or you will eventually lose your strength in the LORD as well. We need to first recognize where our strength comes from, and then we need to protect ourselves from the enemy so that our strength is not zapped out of us, like Samson's.

Judges 16 v 22...But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved....

When you truly repent God will answer you.

Judges 16 v 28-30..."O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived........

Remember where your strength comes from. It is not in your hair, not in your muscles, not in your brain. It is in your faith in Christ Jesus. AMEN!

Neta