If we were to take Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Sylvester Stallone and roll them together into one guy, we might get a glimpse into who Samson was. The boy was just enormous. In reading the history of Samson in Judges 13:1-5 it’s clear that he had a great future ahead of him. God chose him to lead His people, and Samson was uniquely gifted for the task. Few of us, if any, are gifted like Samson, but we are all created for divine purposes. I love the way King David talks about our uniqueness in Ps 139:13-16. Samson was strong, and his future was bright, but somewhere along the way, he fell.

In chapter 14 of the historical narrative, we learn that he saw some eye candy in a lady who was not of God’s people and wanted her. Despite his family’s pleas, Samson took confidence in his strength and judgment and insisted on getting his own way. In so doing, his falling led to his failure. If you’ve not read the whole story, it’s really one of simple rebellion against God, inflated self-confidence, and ultimately forgetting who he was. Thus, he wound up in prison as a slave to the enemies of God. He had a future, but he fell and failed miserably.

As I read over those chapters, I can’t help but wonder how things could have been different. What if Samson wasn’t alone? I mean, he was kind of a one man show. He lived with the knowledge of an anointing of God. Maybe it all just went to his head. For whatever reason, Samson set his own agenda above God’s and fell and failed in profound ways. But yet, that’s not where his life ended. In chapter 16 of Judges, we see that he humbled himself over his time of total brokenness and pressed into God instead of stewing in his destruction.

Though his tormentors had taken out his eyes and he was made their captive, he used his last ounce of strength and breath to praise God and bring about a final victory. The text tells us that he put to death more of Israel’s enemies in his death than in his life. Maybe in those last moments of his life, he realized that his real strength came from faith and not flesh. What we do know is that Samson is listed among the great men of faith in Hebrews chapter 11:32, which is no minor deal. His faith overcame his failure.

Sure, I wonder how Samson’s life could have been different. But I also wonder how ours can be different today. The truth is that no matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done, Jesus still has plans for us. The more we press into Him and rely on our brothers and sisters in Christ, the more God can use us. We don’t need to have Samson’s body mass or the different gifts of someone else. We must know that real strength comes through faith and not our flesh. No matter who we are or what we have, God has a plan for us to work alongside Him to form a better world now and the future fulfilled Kingdom in Heaven.

What strength are you relying on today?

What has God given you to bless others today with?

How will you make a difference today in someone else’s life?