The Secret of Samson's strength

"And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him" (Judges 16:20).

Samson was called of God to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Philistines. He was a Nazarite, which means that his life was consecrated (set apart)unto God. Because of His calling and consecration, God had endowed Him with supernatural strength. But although he was physically strong he was morally weak. And that moral weakness led to his demised. Samson was taken captive by the Philistines after telling a conniving pretty woman the secret to his strength. And that secret was much more than just getting a hair cut (Judges 16:17). Many today think that the source of Samson's strength was His long hair. But his long hair (or not cutting it) was just one of the vows and marks of his consecration to God as a Nazarite. The Spirit of God not his hair was the source of his strength, which was given to him to fulfill his calling to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Samson lost his power because he lost consecration. Samson repeatedly broke his vow as a Nazarite and when he least expected it the Spirit of God had departed from him. Samson played around with sin and took God's grace for granted for too long and became a captive to the very people he was given power to defeat.

Christians today can also experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives to live for God and do His work. But if we think that we can fool around with sin and still expect to experience God's power in our lives we are gravely mistaken. The Apostle Paul wrote, "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet (useful) for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21). The Holy Spirit works in and through holy vessels (Christians) whose lives are purged from sin and consecrated unto Him. May God have his way in our lives.