Monday, March 22, 2010
March 23 ... Judges 13 - 15 "Struggle Well with His Energy" Col 1:29
Judges 13:25 The Spirit of God came on Samson to work in him mightily. So what resulted in his life? Tantalized by women, he gave in. What about in my own life? Do I see God working? Do I give in to the status quo? So reminds me of Col. 1:29 that it is Christ that is powerfully at work in us. It's not about our mustering up the strength to live and love. Not about pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps. Life even isn't about us becoming overcomers. It's not even about enduring to the end with courage. "We can't mistake dependence for love." Do we really love Him? That's Christ's question to Peter in the book of John ... "do you love Me" "do you love Me" do you love Me?" We can only trust His Love in the midst of our problems. Repent. "His motives are now in you; you can impact others." It's the wrong motives that spoils our impact. I may be the sweetest kindest person ever with wrong motives. I may be giving and compassionate and sacrificial with wrong motives. My prayer for all of us today is Col 1:29 - May we struggle well with His Energy which so powerfully works in us.
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This morning, Dr Larry Crabb rocked my world. The Book of Galations: "God says,your preoccupation with satisfaction is the corruption beneath your compulsions. Your expectation of feeling everything you want to feel in this fallen world renders you vulnerable to false teachers who,in the name of My Son, offer you a strategy that promises to let you feel as complete now as you will feel forever in heaven." I am overwhelmed by the timing of this study at this time in my life. Due to rules imposed by my son-in-law and daughter,we have not been able to participate in the life of our 2 month old first grandbaby. As Dr. Crabb continues to explain, the Son has set us free from rules that keep us from a close relationship with Him (and with our earthly family). Through times of intense sorrow and pain I have been shown the magnitude of my Father's love for me and my family. It is not about me feeling great now. It is learning how to love and how to accept His love. God's love gives me freedom to love completely, without rules and restrictions. I am learning to listen, wait and be prepared to be used in ways I would never have imagined in my life.
ReplyDeleteJHpainter girl - I am so sorry for the loss that are experiencing with your first grandbaby. That breaks my heart. I pray for God's comfort, perspective, and wisdom in your relationships.
ReplyDeleteAs I think about what you're missing out on in the first couple of months of this baby's life, Joel 2:25 comes to mind: "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten."
I pray that as you focus on Jesus and allow Him to meet you here, that He will do a work in the hearts of your daughter and son-in-law as well.
Okay, Samson's story isn't any less confusing than the others. Is he a good guy? Is he a bad guy? Because with each paragraph, I kept going back and forth on those questions.
ReplyDeleteIn this story, I see how people with the Spirit of God in them can still go off track, yet God can use their sin for His purposes.
I am struggling to understand Samson's demand to marry a Philistine girl. His mom and dad saw an angel of God, for pete's sake. They asked the angel to teach them how to raise their son. Did they just forget the part about not intermarrying?? Were they just weak parents?? Did they not teach Samson the rules for being ritually clean?? Was Samson just a rebellious son??
I was surprised that Samson so carelessly ate the honey out of the lion's carcass. It didn't seem to bother him at all that He was breaking God's commands.
So much violence and bloodshed and sin. Yet God's Spirit keeps coming upon Samson and giving him great power.
I don't get this book at all!
So glad to read comments before I post what my first reaction was to today's reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you, JH Painter Girl to share the Crabb quote on preoccupation with satisfaction. Hits me right between the eyes, too. I'm sorry for your loss of shared joy with your grandbaby-praying with Cici for you that He will restore the time the locusts have eaten.
Cici-I'm with you. Is Samson good or a big brat? Another reminder that God will bestow power upon whom He chooses, and it really isn't ours to understand. We have enough to reconcile in our own hearts. It give us hope for ourselves to be useful in the Kingdom that He uses oafs like Samson is portrayed here. (Is it just the Message's wording or have I missed this before now?)
Bev, you propose the real heart issue today: we can do everything right with the wrong motive or everything wrong with the right motive, or everything wrong with the wrong motive--truly only one right motive-making our love for the Lord the impetus behind our decision making. Although Samson was divinely appointed from birth to have the Lord's Spirit, it didn't keep him in line. So many modern examples of this come to mind, but I return to the mess in my own heart. I hear Jesus asking me for the third time, Do you love me? How Peter must have searched his heart upon hearing the Lord ask him repeatedly. Do I really love Him with my whole heart? I say yes, but my actions prove otherwise.
Lord, As we read of all the slaughters and brutal attacks, I ask for one clean cut-circumcise our hearts to You alone. Kill our preoccupation with satisfying ourselves. Help us to be the one You divinely created us to be at birth. Your Kingdom doesn't depend on us, but we so depend on You. Thank You for saving us yet again from ourselves, and, surely, imminent death. Amen
JHpaintergirl, I'm so sorry and can't imagine the pain you must feel. I pray God will make a way for you to experience a relationship with your grandchild. It's also their loss...praying they will see that.
ReplyDeleteSamson was set apart from birth. His life was to model one of dedication to God...A Nazarite. Outward restrictions of not cutting his hair, no wine, and not touching a dead body were meant to symbolize his inward dedication. Instead of living a life dedicated to God, Samson lived for the good life. He was a man who could conquer his enemies on the OUTSIDE, but not the ones on the INSIDE.
We can begin well..."A Nazarite to God from the womb..." (13:5)Where did he go wrong. He seemed to have had wrong motives most of his life.
God still accomplished His purposes, in spite of Samson's sin. But what did Samson miss out on? Not, "What's in it for me", but the joy of experiencing the kind of walk that Joshua, Caleb, and others had with God. I will not prevent God from accomplishing what He wants to accomplish. Isn't it so much better to be a part of His plan in a way that my life brings Him glory? So much better to experience His presence. To be "satisfied in Him", as John Piper says...letting my life impact others because His life has impacted mine! Not "sloppy agape" love but entering into the lives of people.
I first discovered Dr. Crabb when his brother Bill taught a series I attended. Out of that I discovered Dr. Crabb's book "Inside Out". Hope was given to me that REAL CHANGE could happen...IF it starts on the INSIDE! I wanted that back then...I want it now. I don't want to be used in spite of myself.
Love should be my only motive. Sadly, it isn't. He knows that and I am so glad he continues to show me...and continues to hold out to me "a better hope through which we DRAW NEAR to God."(Heb.7:19b)
Bev, thank you for challenging us each morning. You ask good questions.
FG Forever Grateful
Loved all of your thoughts. JHPG, isn't Dr. Crabb ministering to some deep hurts through his words? I am so sorry about your forced distance with this first grandchild. Keep praying that God would tender your heart towards the real problem and minister healing there. I hope you picked up on what I'm going to focus on from these readings today.
ReplyDeleteAnnette, your prayer was so beautiful and such a timely reminder. Thank you.
Judges 13
"His (Manoah) wife was barren and childless."
God noticed this woman. He always sees our pain and He cares.
He decided to use her to bring life to His Plan of deliverance of His people from the awful Philistines. All of my childhood, in Sunday School, I thought the Philistines were the worst of the worst. And they were. But God wanted to bring His people out from under their control and he chose this barren and childless woman to be the vessel He would use.
I wonder if she was weeping when the God Angel appeared to her, announcing this news? He's sending a deliverer for His people. I think He very carefully selected who would be the woman to carry this special child.
She really impressed me with the way she responded. I like that she hurried to tell her husband. And her description of the God Angel...I liked that.
The other thing that I liked was how this God Angel...Jesus...wouldn't reveal His name to them. "Sheer wonder."
I'll ponder that secret thing that is hidden right now. I still wonder if we really know His true name. Sheer Wonder. Could there be anything more beautiful?
I can just imagine Him rising up in the flames...ascending up to heaven.
For some reason, Judges seems so cold and factual. The details are there but it just doesn't read like some of Mr. Peterson's other writings in the Message.
Samson, "Get her for me." Bossy, bossy.
And I can't pass this up just for a sweet laugh...
Here is the beginning of the first "Hair Ministry" in the bible. Beth Moore would have fun with this one.
In my heart, I hate the way I can be so self-centered in my life. I love the "gentleness" that the Spirit of the Lord works in our hearts as a fruit of the Spirit. I pray that all of us would have the strength and courage of Samson, but the gentleness of Samson's mother.
Manoah's wife...we don't even know her name, only her tears. I feel that way sometimes, nameless and sorrow-filled. But He knows my name! Thank you Deborah for your beautiful rendition of that story. Very touching to me this night! And look what came of her sorrows...Plan A. I just can't wait to read y'all every day! You give me insight into my own heart.
ReplyDeleteJ...you are nameless to us and sorrow-filled and God sees you this night. He not only knows your name, He is calling your name. Your humility comes through your words. Your courage to push through to love is intriguing. We are all fellow strugglers and we want to struggle well. You are welcome here. May the God Who has so awakened Beauty in your life awaken all involved in this situation where you are denied their presence. May you wrestle well with what is so wrong. I wish I had words to give for something so hurtful. I just love the thoughts you gave about how it's not about feeling great now but moving to love others. God bless you sweet one! Come back often Woman of Beauty!
ReplyDelete"Again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord..." (Judges 13:1 - NIV) Did you catch the word "again".....I couldn't help but think how many times "again" might be written in front of my own name.
ReplyDeleteWhat will it take to follow God? The warnings of God are clear: if we continue to harden our hearts against God, we can expect the same fate as Israel.