So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand.-Judges 14:5-6 NKJV
There are times in my life that I am flat out scared. I have found myself in some rather unique and odd encounters as a Christian, and before I was a Christian. There are times when I was bold and brave, but there are many more times I was afraid and turned away to run away. Scared of what the outcome may be of the situation I found myself in. Scared of the reaction as I’m facing a person handing them a gospel tract or talking about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, the enemy is very crafty in many ways that play on your mind and emotions, especially when you are trying to step forward for the Lord. At times you can feel strong, and then out of know where, satan slams into you. I’m sure everyone reading this, that has taken any kind of step out of life for the Lord, knows what I am talking about. It isn’t easy.
But that is exactly what satan wants us to feel and feel like. He wants us to feel pressured, scared, like we are being pushy or arrogant in some way. He wants us to feel like we are doing a dis-service to the person, people, or community we are trying to reach for the Lord. You know what really gets hard? When you work with the people. Then you are walking on thin ice because you might make someone mad, or say something and that person won’t be your friend, or make fun of you. Or maybe God may ask you in your heart to witness to someone you are friends with and it could cost you your friendship. You might seem like a person that is too pushy, or maybe, you just might not have all the answers.
Samson was a man set apart by God before his birth. The man made terrible, foolish mistakes. He ignored the Lord, he didn’t always tell the truth, he just kind of did what he wanted. God chose Samson to do many great things, to be a Judge, to be a leader over Israel. If you have ever read the story, you know he didn’t quite fit the bill so to speak. But God didn’t give up on him, just like he won’t give up on us, those He has “set apart”. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knew us before we were formed in our mothers womb. God already had your life planned if you would follow His will. Jesus knew your name and seen your face when He was hanging on the cross, He knows who He called to be His and who is listening to Him alone.
Did you notice in that verse above that Samson didn’t run away? He didn’t even have to stand and fight. The verse says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he tore the lion in two. With such ease, “as though he had nothing in his hand”, the lion was defeated. 1 Peter 5:8 says: Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. What better way to be sober, to be vigilant, than to stay in the Word, stay close to Jesus in your heart, and stand fast in the Holy Spirit. When we are trusting completely in Jesus, we have nothing to fear. He alone will see us through whatever we are facing. But we have to give it to Him, we have to be trusting in Him. Are we? Do we?
We don’t have to stand and fight. We don’t have to be afraid of what people might say or think. We don’t have to run away. What we have to do is listen to our Lord. We should want to listen to His heart. His heart is that none should perish. It is not our job to save them, it is only our job to plant the seed and water it from time to time as God directs us. But when we run, instead of trusting in the Holy Spirit, we fail. That same Spirit of God that came upon Samson, is the same Spirit of God that will come upon you when He is needed. God knows our encounters. He knows our friends. He knows our hearts.
We all make mistakes. We all make foolish mistakes. We all run away, instead of trusting in God. John 15:16 reflects the words of the Father in Jeremiah: You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. The verse goes on tell us that what we ask the Father in Jesus name, He may, not will, but may give to us. There are times we have to learn. There are times we will make mistakes. But we will never learn without trying and making sure that we are listening to the Word of God. So many verses reflect the Heart of Jesus and command us to try and reach the lost. When we do nothing, we made a choice. When we decide to live our lives our own way, on our own terms with Jesus, Satan has won. When our lives seem to be going along smooth and calm and great with no issues in them, satan is leaving you alone, he has won. He hates when people are working for the Lord. Satan has made a choice to try and devour us anyway he can. He wants to destroy us. When we don’t listen to the Word of God, when we don’t listen to the still small voice in our hearts, when we choose to not listen, satan has won.
Stand and wait upon the Lord, He will renew your strength. Whatever holds you back, whatever keeps you from reaching out, whatever challenge your facing with impossible odds, ask Jesus to help. The Holy Spirit is mighty and strong. Strong enough that when we come face to face with a person, crowd, or community God has placed before us, that He will destroy the influence of satan, He will destroy the fear, He will see you through the situation, “as though He had nothing in His hands.”
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs. Amen.-Mark 16:15, 20 NKJV
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”-Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
“He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”-John 14:21 NKJV
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart-These, O God, You will not despise.-Psalm 51:17 NKJV
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”-John 15:4-8 NKJV
You must lose your life, to find true life. Let go. Jesus Christ is not a mere choice, He is a conscience change of life. Trust Him.
Remember the Cross,
Tom
“I only have two dates on my calendar-today and Judgment Day.”-Martin Luther
