I Am Just Like Sampson

Not in the killin’ a bunch of Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, sleepin’ with prostitutes and tearing a lion apart with my bare hands kinda way.  It’s more in subtle than that.  Ride down this trail with me and I will get you there....

In Judges 14:2, Samson says to his parents,” I saw a hot Philistine woman in Timnah: now you go git her for me as my wife.” (Paraphrased, of course!)

Pretty arrogant, huh!?!  When I studied that verse, my first thought was….what a punk!  Com’on, what right does this punk have to make demands on his parents?  This is one of my pet peeves in the world today.  The only demands kids should have are a safe, loving home.  What kid needs a $200 pair of tennis shoes or an Ipad or their every whim supplied?

That said, my kids both have a cell phone and way more stuff than I did growing up.  BUT, they understand it can go away in an instant.  Everything we have can go away in an instant.  We are not promised comfort here on this earth; in fact the only thing that we are promised (if we belong to Christ) is that if the world hated HIM, it would hate us also!

Back to Samson, in Judges 14:3-4.  When his parents suggested some local girls, of his race, he said, “Git her for me.  She’s the one who lights my fire.”  (Again, paraphrased)

Again with the demands, he ignores the wisdom of his parents.  He wants what he wants, when he wants it!  Now as it turns out, this woman was in God’s plan to confront the Philistines.  So Samson was in God’s will, but what an attitude!

In between what’s above and the jaw bone slayin’, there is all sorts examples of a spoilt child.  Temper tantrums, fits of rage…you name it.  BUT, understand this was all in God’s plan.  Judges 13:5 said that he would take the lead in getting the Isrealites out of the bind they were in with the Philistines.

On to the jaw bone slayin’!  After God had given him the power to slay a thousand men (what a battle that must have been!) in Judges 15:15-17 was Samson grateful?  (and here’s where I get like Samson sometimes…)  No, he was not!  He said, in Judges 15:18, “You gave me the power to whup these boys, but now I’m so thirsty I think I’m gonna die and be corraled up by the uncircumcised”  Now, doesn’t that sound just a little like a five year old?  Still all part of God’s plan, of course.  God did give him a spring to drink out of to show God’s power, but what a brat!

As I said, here’s where I get like Samson.  Sometimes I forget to be grateful…and God still has a plan for me.  Several years ago (almost 10) I felt a tug to do ministry.  I avoided the thoughts of it for several years, but God brought it back to my attention about a year and half ago.  In the ten years that I avoided the ministry thoughts, I sorta floated back and forth.  I would drift away from God, it’d get painful and I’d come back.  A year and half ago, my Queen was diagnosed with breast cancer.  It crushed me (remember “it’d get painful”).  But God had a plan and over the last 18 months he has laid some of it out for me.  I found a place called Save the Cowboy.com and between that and my home church, I’ve been convicted to do more than sit on the porch.  Recently I was invited to get involved in the Simplified Cowboy Version.  Now…I have prayed about this, because I know you don’t jack around with God’s word.  But I am going to accept that invitation, because I think this is where God wants me to work right now.  I would ask that you pray for me to recognize God’s will and be obedient to that will.

In the future I will still write stories about my family and their wrecks, but you will see a different bend to them.  I like good story as much as anybody else, but there will be some Godly life lessons there too.  But, then again….depending on the story….it still may just be a mighty funny story!