Faith and Grace

It seems strange that Samson is included as one of the Heroes of Faith (Hebrews 11:32-39). However, he demonstrated faith at least twice. The first, as we studied earlier, was trusting that God would deliver him and giving himself up when his people wanted to hand him over to the Philistines. 

The second event happened when, as a slave, he stood between the two supporting pillars of the Philistine temple (Judges 16:28). Acting in faith, he prayed and received strength to pull down the temple upon himself and his enemies. He flung his eternal destiny in reckless confidence on God.

The movie series The Band of Brothers shows the allies invading Holland during World War II. The joyful population greets them as liberators. But certain women are stripped of their dresses, shorn of their hair, and marked with a black Nazi swastika on their foreheads. These women had slept with the enemy. 

Later, the troops pass by a shamed woman standing silently beside the road, holding a baby. In an act of grace, a soldier reaches into his pack and hands her a box of biscuits. 

Samson had slept with the enemy. He had been shorn of his hair, blinded, and totally humiliated. He deserved the punishment of the grinding mill until he died. Yet despite his weaknesses and failures, God gave him grace. We too are sinners, traitors, and collaborators with the enemy. But if God accepted Samson’s faith at the end of his broken life, surely there is hope for us as we cry out in faith for God’s help.

Reflect:

Do you ever feel it is too late for you to finish well? Do you worry God cannot accept you given your past failures? Cry out to God in faith. Through God’s grace, we can finish well.

If you enjoyed this content, read the full book by Philip E. Morrison, Falling Asleep in the Lap of Delilah.