The End

Judges 16:30

"And Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines.'Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life."

How sad! Samson achieved more in his death than he did in his life. The phenomenal strength that God had given him to deliver Israel was wasted over the fleeting pleasures of a woman. His flesh won out over his spirit until the very end of his life when finally he cried out to God for help and killed 3000 men and women.  Even with this, Israel was not delivered. "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." 

Micah, a man of the hill country, crafted his own shrine, made an ephod and household gods, and even ordained one of his sons to be a priest believing that God would bless him now that he had his own priest.  Later, a group of 600 Danite men spied out an area for their inheritance. But before, taking the land, they heard about Micah's gods and priest so they came and took them. Micah could do nothing in retaliation because of their strength. Religion had degenerated so far as to be something that could be stolen having nothing to do with their hearts. How far from God were His chosen people! Sadly, doing what was right in their own eyes, did not involve following the commands of God in any way. Instead, they patterned their lives after the heathen people that God had commanded them to destroy. 

It didn't matter if it was Samson, Micah, a tribe, or a nation, when their eyes were away from God, sin resulted! Man can not do what is right in his own eyes and be pleasing to God! Man can only please God when his eyes are on Him and his heart is obedient to all that God says.

Father,

Thank You for choosing me as Your child. Help me to keep my eyes always on You. Show me how to 'put off' and 'put on' so that I might be used of You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Father,