The Glorious Beginning

Judges 13:3-6

"And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, 'Behold you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines."

What a glorious beginning! Not only was his birth foretold by the angel of the Lord, but his and his mother's lifestyle was described before it began. He was to be a Nazirite, someone set apart for God. He was to save Israel from the Philistines. Surely, out of such a beginning as this, greatness would follow, but sadly it didn't. The account says that the woman bore a son named Samson who grew and was blessed by the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord began to stir in him, but his vision was clouded. He saw a Philistine woman and wanted her as his wife. Disregarding the advice of his parents,  he took her and she became his first break with God. He blatantly disobeyed God's instruction about marriage. Even though he had done this, God did use him. The Spirit of God did rush upon him at times in miraculous ways, and he did judge Israel for 20 years. But what would his life have been like if he had wholly obeyed God? What a parallel to Israel! Up and down, times of obedience and miracles, and times of disobedience, idolatry, and foreign women. So sad to see someone chosen by God begin in such a way and throw it all away for the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh. Am I up and down in my spiritual life? Do I still see the world and desire its pleasures?

Lord,
Thank You for gloriously choosing me to be Your child. Help me to stay strong and faithful to You by the power of Your grace. Keep my eyes on You and  not on the pleasures of the flesh.

In Jesus name,

Amen