Samson Week 3: One Step Back to Strength

Samson has hit bottom. He ended up with his eyes gouged out, grinding grain like an ox, mocked by his enemies. And maybe that’s where some of you are. Not literally, but spiritually. Shamed. Stuck. Beaten down. But here’s the hope: Failure is an event, not a person. When Samson prayed, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please strengthen me just once more…”, he was stepping back into his calling. He was giving his last breath not for himself, but for God’s purposes.

 

Put It into Practice: Share with God the failures and regrets with which you continue to struggle. Ask Him to deliver you from them, and to affirm in you who He created you to be. Step back into your calling.

 

Day 1       Judges 16:1-22 

Reflect: What patterns of behavior do you see in Samson in this text? What specific failures (moral and spiritual) led to Samson’s downfall? How does v. 20 represent a turning point in his life? 

Apply:   How do you sometimes, like Samson, overestimate your strength or spiritual standing and underestimate the danger of repeated sin? If you have regret, what might God be saying to you? 

Pray:     Jesus, give me strength to resist temptation, to stay true to You, and serve You with all my heart, mind, and soul.

 

Day 2      Judges 16:23-31

Reflect: How does Samson’s final prayer reflect both his brokenness and his renewed dependence on God? Did he reflect on his past failures and regrets? What is significant about the way he dies? 

Apply:   What does this passage teach us about how we finish our spiritual journey? How can a person with a history of failure still finish well in God’s eyes? What is your takeaway from Samson?

Pray:      Lord, I trust in Your power and purpose for my life. Bless me with the wisdom to use my limited strength for Your glory, and the courage to face challenges ahead.

 

Day 3       Proverbs 24:15-20 

Reflect: What does v. 16 teach us about resilience and restoration in the life of someone who fails like Samson? How else do you see the lessons from Samson presented in these proverbs?

Apply:   Have you ever felt like a personal failure defined your identity? How does the promise in      v. 16 speak to that struggle? What do you learn about evil and vengeance in these proverbs? 

Pray:God, I praise You for Your faithfulness and protection. I pray for strength and resilience in the face of adversity, and for Your wisdom to guide my steps.

 

Day 4      Romans 2:1-13

Reflect: How would you summarize this text from the perspective of what you learned from Samson? How do you think God would respond to him in v. 6? How does grace play into his story?

Apply:   What heart changes do you need to make to avoid self-deception and hypocrisy? How can Samson’s story and this passage help you take sin seriously while still clinging to God’s grace?

Pray:      Father God, I pray that I may be transformed from the inside out. Grant me a heart that is receptive to Your grace and a mind that seeks to understand Your truth.

 

Day 5       2 Timothy 2:15-26 

Reflect: Which words of Paul’s speak loudest to you and why? What qualities make someone a vessel useful to God? What kind of vessel would you say Samson was? What kind are you?   

Apply: Think of the pillars Samson pushed down as representing his struggles with sin, and how God gave him the strength to overcome them. Talk to God about what your pillars are made of and ask Him to provide you with the strength to push them down. 

Pray:  Lord, I pray for Your grace to be a vessel for Your love and mercy. Help me to reach out to those who are captive to sin, and may I be an instrument in Your hand to bring them to repentance and freedom.