WHAT ARE WE FEEDING ON?

What do we delight to feed on?
Judges 14:1-9
14:1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife." 3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me well." 4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD--that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.  NKJV

Our thinking on God's Word keeps us in the protected garden. But going outside of that and dwelling in conversations with others who truthfully are away from the Lord will bring us to where they dwell. Samson was anointed of God and was not to eat of anything from or of the dead carcass such as that of the lion he slew. Yet, he saw the carcass of the lion and ate of the honey that a swarm of bees had set up. What we pick up from others will certainly be gained into the heart. And we are to deal in truth always, but Samson did not. What is dead is to remain dead and there cannot be anything gained from it.........for like the dead carcass will keep decaying till nothing remains. And the bees will have to find another place to make their honey!

People so wounded will always revert to dwell on how they were wounded. If they really liked the people or person who betrayed them or wounded them. And if they saw something in them that reminded them of their mother or father, they will want to stay in that hurt. Some people's thinking is that they deserve it!  What ever they have not been delivered from in their past will certainly be carried forward into their future. That is why many become the "stalled" or just immovable, the fixed on the past, the hurt and always bleeding out. You can have a conversation with one and see where they reside. My sister spends time in the Word and with the Lord and she is always shown how there are those who will return to their own vomit! Yikes, that is not good! To maintain the anointing the Lord places in us and on us, we are to be those of integrity and pray diligently that the Lord will give us a discerning heart to read those who so diligently look for someone to harbor their hurtful needs. Yes, because it can happen! We should have the culture of honor and lift others out, but if they do not want to be lifted out by words of encouragement, then we must leave them. And we should check on them, and pray for them regularly.
Sometimes in our eyes we think we are the wise, but in truth wisdom only comes from God. His wisdom is to lead us in justice, truth and love with much peace. But fools find folly as their way of live and living.

Proverbs 26:11-12
11 As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
NKJV

My sister is always praying for those who she comes in contact with and her plan is that God will show her how to pray for those so that they will not travel the same path of the hurt they received. And Jesus surely showed those what they were to do when they were the healed. Your faith has healed you, has saved you,  now go in peace ( or sin no more)!

Luke 7:50
50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." NIV
Luke 17:19
19 Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." NIV
Luke 18:42
42 Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.  NIV
 What I liked about Bartimaeus from Luke 18 and the leper was that they gave thanks to God. They were the thankful and moved down that pathway.

Many, oh so many, people just want to set up camp and blame someone for their hurt, their pain, their abuse of being used over and over again. Unless we put that on Jesus, then we carry it on and to our demise.

But the Lord came to deliver us and to have our souls rest in Him, which is the Way of truth and life. To reside anyplace else is not in life!
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  NKJV

Finding rest for our souls is paramount. And it is only found in Jesus. Samson never knew when the Holy Spirit exited his life. He started doing things in his own power. We do not want to be guilty of that. 

I wrote on a blog in July 26, 2015 about Samson. It is called "Trading Glory for Sorrows". Yes, God did return to help him, but it was not till he (Samson) humbled himself and prayed. We should never take God for granted.
As a Judge, Samson was to rule righteously. That position was to be held by one who was the faithful to Jehovah's righteousness. In Samson, we saw him getting deeper into sin. All it takes is one time to go against what the Lord has given to us. And then a second visit, and that second visit becomes a ritual of doing. If we know that we are not to do certain things, then what is not allowed should always be our priority to keep our walk with God! Anything out of Him and His word will appoint us to wrath and destruction. Being led by the "flesh creature" is not a good thing. We are to bring our living sacrifice to God as from Romans 12 and verses 1-2.

Romans 12:1-2
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV

Our reasonable service is that which is according to God's Word. As that "living sacrifice" we are to be humble and not conformed to this world. Easy, right?
If we delight on feeding on "dead things" then our lives will look like that completely. I do not desire to do that. I desire to feed on His faithfulness that powers me up to do what He has asked from His Word.


1 Peter 1:13-21
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."  17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
NKJV

We are to be ready for action (gird up the loins) in our minds,to be sober and rest as you receive revelation of Jesus Christ based upon the grace from God. We are to have a fear of the Lord. And we are the redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. He was the lamb without blemish and without spot. May our faith and hope be in God and not in "dead things".

1 Corinthians 8:6
 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
NKJV
The New American Standard says this:

1 Corinthians 8:6

6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. NAS

FOR us, there is One God, the Father from whom are all things. We exist for (in) Him and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, to exist through Him.

Our lives are to represent Him and bring glory and honor to Him as well. Do our lives measure up?

Our lives will reveal things to others we meet! What will ours be speaking to another?

Father, we pray in Jesus' name, that we will be directed by Your Holy Spirit. We understand that any preparation of time with You and Your Word is never lost. We are to show ourselves approved according to 2 Timothy 2:15. We also know that we are to be the "dedicated" and to submit to You and when we are the submitted, the devil will flee from us.

We set to consecrate ourselves according 2 Timothy 2:21-26 for we desire to be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master prepared for every good work. We desire to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Show us those who are the foolish with ignorant disputes that we will avoid all that generate strife. We understand that it is a daily walk with You.  Show us any areas of our lives that need much help!

We also pray to be people of integrity according to Psalm 15:4. We are to fear the Lord and to hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. (Prov. 8:13-14) We come to Your counsel and sound judgment to have understanding and power.

Father, we thank YOU for Your counsel today. Holy Spirit, teach us, and show us the way to bring glory to God our Father and to Jesus the Lord of glory. We give much thanks for the Holy Spirit in our lives. Amen.


You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

TRADING GLORY FOR SORROWS

Judges 16:1-5.............16:1 Then Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. 2 When the Gazites were told, "Samson has come here!" they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, "In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him." 3 And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

4 Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver." NKJV

When Samson took hold of that gate of the city, he pulled up the entire gate with the lintels and we are told this gate had a plating of metal throughout. (the gates were done that way so as not to burn completely away when being attacked by foreigners). It was usually a double door and was locked at night by a wooden bar across the middle. We are told that he pulled it up and put in on his shoulders and carried them (the two wooden doors of the gate that was woven throughout with metal) to the top of the hill that faces Hebron! Wow!
Please realize that this carrying of the gate is up a hill all the way and with added weight on the shoulders.

Saw this young woman on the path behind our home. (Thursday noon) as I worked on this passage of scripture. She looks like she was in training for she was jogging with a metal cylinder on her back. I think of all those firefighters who have to get to a terrain where a fire is raging and their work requires an uphill climb, not far from a roadway and yet far enough to require some foot work! And you can at times see some men or women training with those heavy backpacks on their backs.......loaded down with the essentials to rescue someone who is need of help!


Let's think and meditate on this: Samson spent the night with a prostitute. He rises at midnight, to go remove a gate from its foundation, and possibly a locked gate with the cross-bar attached to them. He gathers all this on his shoulders. And he walked or ran it up-hill for about nine miles. ( Hebron was about nine geographical miles. Some think it was to a hill called el Montar, which is 45 minutes from Gaza). Either way this was some feat! Oh, and did I mention the road was made of sand? Gaza was by the sea and Hebron was in the hills.

So if one is deep into sin like he performed with this woman, was he desiring to leave in "the dark" so no one could see him? The scripture plainly points out that those of the Gazites were watching for him and knew when he was in the city with the prostitute. It says they surrounded the place where he had gone into the prostitute.
And what about that gate.....and did he really need to pull it up .........and take it?
Again think about him not destroying the gate, but actually pulling it up together, one piece and carrying it forward away from Gaza and going up to Hebron. What was he thinking?
The city of Gaza was no longer secure. The gate into the city was now gone.

Gaza was a long way from Samson's home. Was he hoping to not be seen by those who knew him or knew of him? Yet, the watchmen knew he was in the city for they set up to ambush him when he came out of the prostitutes place.  Samson was in Gaza for no honorable reason. We read that he took the gate at midnight, so where was the "watchmen"? Was no one watching the city gates? Is it possible that those watching and waiting for Samson saw him lift the entire gate? With their weapons drawn, were they afraid to do anything to him?  
If someone did that today, no doubt, that person would be arrested! So many places today have the cameras that they record 24-hour day periods and pull them up when a death or accident or some other incident occurs.
But in that day, people believed in that Divine Power of God! So many places today have the cameras situated outside businesses to capture traffic on roadway and on the sidewalk. They record 24-hour day periods and pull them up when a death or accident or some other incident occurs. They surely keep an accurate record when placed in right area and right position in front of business or parking lot!

As the Judge over Israel and against the princes of the Philistines, this man had a lot of things going on. Was his counsel now of no effect? Those of that counsel sat at the city gates to exercise government rule.
In meditating this, I thought of how that justice is done today in America. I thought of a "county seat". Growing up in the south, I knew something of the county seat. It was in the main city or town of that county where government order as in justice prevailed. If there arose any complaints through the county area, the complaint was sent to the administrative person in charge. The papers filed were handed to the judge. He would rule either in favor of the complaint or rule against it as the law states in that county or state.
Counties, as like the one in which I lived, would carry out or administer state laws at the local level.
As in our town, the "Court House" was where the government was administered at the township or city level.

When we think of Samson heading for Hebron but never reaching it, was he moving further AWAY from God? Yet, we find in looking at the word Hebron, we see it is as a "community seat of association". Did Samson like being away from the things of God and was he choosing to stay in the polluted world of sin. He could have easily stayed connected with God the Holy Spirit, and give up the fleshly ways of the world to keep a walk of faith and prudence.

HEBRON in Hebrew is (inter alia) and comes from the word for "Friend" (haver). But because of sin, was Samson still bound to the gate he managed to remove from the earth that held it. Even in the size and weight of this major gate with two doorways included, it was still in one piece. Was he still bound to those who he became a friend or an acquaintance of?

Was he angry when finding a gate closed? And was he so proud that "no gate could hold him"?

When we go on to read of Samson, he is entangled with Delilah! He, Samson, went from bad to worse. For in this passage we probably find a woman who had no sinful life, but she was promised the 1100 pieces of silver from each of the princes of the Philistines. And she did it! That made her become a prostitute by being paid a wage for it........to bring Samson down!
I wonder how many get entangled in some little something and think it harmless, when like Samson, they can remove the gate but it still be intact.......and in reality never let anyone through it.
Like this gate, and similar to where he would minister justice, but had justice gone out the way side of things? Again, would he have no power to administer justice in Israel after this?
As a Judge, Samson was to rule righteously. The Judges were to be faithful to Jehovah's righteousness. In Samson, we saw him getting deeper into sin.
Even though the book of Judges is small and lists only a few, there are those who shine like Deborah. (blog: Appointed by God, Deborah the Prophetess) But Samson is remembered as the one who gave in to sin, led by his own fleshly desires and to die while being held captive by those who hated him, the Philistines.
Are we possibly doing something like Samson and not know it? Are we holding up something we like to do, and look good doing it and want others to know how "great" we are doing this thing? It could range from the workplace to church. It could be in music, in sports, in computer work, or even in singing. It could be coming from making 20 cents a day to 2 million dollars in days!

In closing:

Acts 8:9-24.....................9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

20 Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

24 Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me." NIV

WOW! It says that Peter told Simon, you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. In the blog "HAPPY ARE THE PEOPLE", the people who know God are those who are not bitter, not after their own thing, but after the glory of God. It is in His glory that we have those radiant faces and the joyful heart that look at doing what God the Lord planned for us to do.

As we look at Simon from Acts 8 and verse 24, we find he asked for Simon to pray..........but Peter told him to repent of the  wickedness and pray to the Lord.....perhaps He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart!

It does not say that Simon repented of his act toward the holy things of God and thinking he could buy the Holy Spirit. He asked Peter to pray for him. 
Was not this like Saul?  Have we not read time and again of the pride that Saul got into as he thought he could do without the Lord's leading. He was even giving sacrifice without the priest being present. That which was duly performed was given by God, but it also meant that that sacrificing was as worship and was of the inward heart. Yes, it was a heart issue!  It was not just an outward show to perform something. Obedience with a faithful trusting heart is what pleases God. 

1 Thessalonians 2:4....................4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. NIV
Romans 14:17-20...................17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.  NKJV

I remember this gentleman who was in the church we were attending. He loved to work out. And he did some training in the field of body builders. He had done it for awhile and after an amount of time the Lord told him to stop doing it.
He shared with the body of believer's that his doing it was for his benefit and not God's. He had come to a place where that "thing" was so important that it had become " a god" to him. So he stopped doing it. He obeyed God. We must be those who willing choose to put down that which only glorifies us and pick up that which glorifies the Father. What could possibly be in our lives, that we must put down and move away from to glorify our Father in Heaven? 

Samson did repent at the end. It cost him his life! And it was recorded............for us to read and hear! He traded glory for sorrows!

Father, we are told in Romans 8:8 that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. It is Your Holy Spirit that has come to dwell in our hearts by faith. Today we are alive because the Spirit which is life is in us. Living by YOUR Holy Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body. We have received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, " Abba, Father."
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 
Father show us where we might have something that could become a "god" to us. Help us to check our hearts daily and listen to Your rebuke.
We desire not to trade Your glory for sorrows, but we desire to bring praise to YOUR name and shout praise forever!

We pray to be those who will repent when we know we must to stay in Your Presence and YOUR glory. We desire to hear every command and obey them.

We know that You have given us Your Holy Spirit and according to John 3:34,35, "for since he Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God's own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit!

We desire today to bask in the beauty of Who You are. We are expectant to have a life filled with adventure, but also with wisdom, truth and righteousness that keeps us in the shelter of the Almighty God in Jesus' name. Amen and Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV 

Resting in the Lap of the World is Dangerous!

Judges 16:4-20   .............4 Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver."

6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you." 7 And Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man." 8 So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, "Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with." 11 So he said to her, "If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man." 12 Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread.

13 Delilah said to Samson, "Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with." And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom"-- 14 So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom.

15 Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies." 16 And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, 17 that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart." So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. 19 Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.   NKJV

Resting  in the things of the world is a dangerous place to be! We can see from the scripture passage of Samson, that even though he was called and could do exploits, it was obeying God that caused Samson's strength.

We can see this today with those who ultimately follow to close to the world and find their extreme choice is to stop off at the lap of that which seduces and bring us closer to death than to the life God intends for His children to have today!
Resting when weary is important. But the scripture declares.........

Isaiah 40:28-31..............28 Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the LORD,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable. 

29 He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength. 

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall, 

31 But those who wait on the LORD 

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint. NKJV

We look into the life of Samson and see a man destined for what God called him to do for Israel. It was in the fourteenth chapter we see that Samson was wanting to marry a Pagan woman. She was a daughter of those who oppressed Israel. But it was God who purposed this secret against the Philistines.

There were many exploits that he performed due to the anointing on him. He could stand against many men and prevail to victory, but it was his love for women that caused his downfall. He found in Delilah a love that he thought he could have or needed. But he was proved so wrong! Samson fell to his fleshly lust for a woman.  Her snares were such that she oppressed him with her mere words to gain information she needed to give to the princes of the Philistines.  If Delilah was not a prostitute at the time she met Samson, she certainly gave in to prostitute for money given by the princes of the Philistines to gain the answer for Samson's great strength.
With her conniving tricks of words to deceive to gain the answer, he also lied, not once, not twice but three times that made her boiling mad at the time.
It is not a good thing to make light of the anointing God has placed on any one person. When saved, we are the "anointed" with the oil of the Holy Spirit residing in us. We are to take seriously that He is a Person and not a thing to exploit in any manner. He resides in us to resurrect us daily to the life God planned.
I also believe that Samson became weary after his sad dissolution of marriage to that "one" woman he married. Yet, in all that transpired and the acts of her family, and the community, Samson lost his wife. In all his doings for the Lord, he came up short with his longing to be in and of the world as well.
We see that in his relationship with Delilah.

Proverbs 21:16................16 A man who wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of the dead. .NKJV

In verse 19 of Judges 16, we should take note that in all his going and activity, he did not go back to his parents or to the Lord, but into the lap of Delilah. He went to rest in the lap of the world and be tormented by the same world that oppresses and destroys.
He goes into Delilah and falls down at her feet to lay his head in her lap!

It is important to remember the world had nothing in Jesus and it should nothing in us.


Acts 17:24-28...................24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'  NKJV

It is in Him we have life, and it is in Him we have our being!

God is our length of days. God is our protection against the bullies, the brutes, any who try to bring us down by the words that kill.
Our rest is to in the Lord!
Hebrews 4:11-13...................11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
NKJV

In verse 17 of Judges 16, he opened his heart and told her everything. He readily made the confession to this woman and God left him to do the foolish thing. We were told in Judges 13 and verse 5 that Samson's consecration was to God for his strength. Samson was to attend to God and His leading every step of the way ordained for his life. But he did not do that!

With all the deceit and lies flying, all the passion for the woman and lose his hair too, what a fallen condition to find yourself in the lap of the world and no power to go forward in it.

In a formidable condition as this, we see the man Samson removed from society to serve in grinding at the mill.  Indignity brought shame upon his head, but while his hair began to grow, his heart had to have grown repentant of serving the things of the world.

We can find in Judges 16:28 that Samson called unto the Lord. And his prayer was simple. O Lord GOD remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

It was a prayer that was accepted by God!

I believe Samson humbled himself under the mighty hand of God to prevail that day.

Father, today we seek to please YOU. It our faith that pleases YOU! We come to humble ourselves and pray and  TO ultimately submit to Your plan and Word that speaks..........yes, exposes, sifts, analyzes and judges the very thoughts and purposes of our hearts. We will test our own actions that we might have appropriate self-esteem, without comparing ourselves to anyone else. It is the security of Your guidance that allows us to carry our own load with energy and confidence.

Father we run to Your wisdom and incline our ears to hear You speak Your words of truth to us. Today we desire not to be like Samson , but to see his example that pride and arrogance would be stripped away from us. We desire to humble ourselves under Your mighty hand that in time You may exalt us.

It is in the name of Jesus today, that we cast away the whole of our care [anxieties, all worries, all our concerns for the future,, once and for all] on You, for You care for us affectionately and care about us watchfully. We expect a life of victory and awesome deeds because our actions are done on behalf of a spirit humbly submitted to Your truth and Your righteousness.We stand being confident of this, that YOU who has began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

As Your words of spirit and truth are in living and active in us, we take our place to stand in power of the Holy Spirit and see exploits done for Your glory. Have Your way in our lives today and we will give YOU all the honor, all the glory and all the praise. We are humble and expect YOUR move on our behalf as humility and fear of You brings wealth, and honor and life TO US. Amen.


You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV 

Honeycomb

I remember the days of the large glass jars of honey. Cannot remember the name brand, but each jar had a part of the honeycomb in it. I always wondered how they got it in there without destroying the comb part. It was so sweet and excellent on those homemade buttermilk biscuits. Well, technology has changed a lot of things and one is the honey jar in that some are made of plastic!  So there is no viewing the beauty of that honeycomb or even for one to have a thought process of how little bees do all that work and make something that tastes so good!

Like honey, the beauty of the amber color gently drizzled over a hot biscuit can entice even a dieter to throw in the towel to enjoy the flavor and taste of all that goodness. If something so simple as honey on a biscuit could cause us to stumble, what else is there that could cause the same problem? Well, you know that honey is good for you. Yes, it is in a certain amount, but what if you ate it three times a day.............and........................on hot biscuits fresh out of the oven all three times?
Proverbs 25:16..................16 Have you found honey?
Eat only as much as you need,
Lest you be filled with it and vomit. NKJV

When we type in honey in reference to the Bible, we can find a lot of scripture that pertains to honey. My favorite passage is found here in Judges 14. From reading through the book of Judges, we find it deals with those who judged in Israel during a very dark time of their history. At this time of their history, Joshua, their leader, had long since passed on to glory. The law which had been handed down was ignored. The only people who continued their walk with the Lord were those of Samson's parent's generation. They continued their devotion and worship to God!
It was by the Lord that the announcement came that Manoah and his wife would have a son. He was to be raised as a Nazirite found in Judges 13:5 .  Samson was to serve the nation as a Judge and stand in that office. He was to serve as one with a commitment to God. But in what the scripture passages reveal, Samson failed time after time.
Samson's major flaw was that he loved women!
So do we have a weak area in our lives? What is that which weakens our "spirit man"? What looks so good to us that we would "compromise" the word of God?

Judges 14:1-20
14:1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife." 3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me well." 4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD--that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.

Compromise number one, was to his vow as a Nazirite! He was to not have anything to do with any product of grapes and we find him taking his parents on specific trip dangerously close to the vineyards of Timnah!

"Oh, I know the vineyard is there, but I will not consume it in any form?" Well, there is a party coming down shortly!

Compromise number two, Samson evidently did not like his father and mother telling him "no" when it came to the question of the pagan woman. But according to God's plan, Samson was not to intermarry with a Canaanite. Samson was to marry from his own people and someone from their land.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

According to the Law that was present at the time, no one was to eat from a dead carcass. There was not to be  any touching of the thing that was dead or anything around it, in it or on it! Some state it was noteably a lion's body still in tact, some state it was just the skeleton. But Samson knew it was something he killed. Samson took up this honey from a "dead thing" and gave it to his parent's and never telling them where it came from and from what he had taken the honey from in regard to the body of the lion. Another compromise! His parent's were committed to God and standing in the truth of God's Word in the Law at that time. He caused his own parent's to sin by not telling "the truth".

Still, God would move forward in His plan using Samson against the Philistines. 

10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 Then Samson said to them, "Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. 13 But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing." And they said to him, "Pose your riddle, that we may hear it." 14 So he said to them:
"Out of the eater came something to eat,And out of the strong came something sweet."
Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.
15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?" 16 Then Samson's wife wept on him, and said, "You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me." And he said to her, "Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?" 17 Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down:
"What is sweeter than honey?And what is stronger than a lion?"
And he said to them:
"If you had not plowed with my heifer,You would not have solved my riddle!"
19 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father's house. 20 And Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man. NKJV

Compromise number three could have happened at the wedding feast! I mean this party thing lasted for seven days. There food and wine was served. Is it possible that Samson partook of the wine offered?

At the wedding feast he proposed a riddle. For entertainment purposes for the guests, Samson promised "thirty changes of clothes" if they could give him an answer to the "riddle"  But unable to solve it, they then urged the new wife to get the answer for them.  Of course He gave in to her demand and told the answer wherein she told the guests. Being betrayed by the new wife, Samson's wrath is kindled and with vengeance in his heart he went to Ashkelon, killed thirty Philistines, and gave the changes of "clothes" to those who had solved the riddle. When he returned to his father's home, Samson's wife was given to his best man.

Compromise is not a good thing! We may think we are on the right path, but when things seem to fall apart, and those who should stand with you seem far away and take the side of the world's thing, then we must stop! Stop! Then take a breath, and pray : Lord, where did I compromise?  When did I get off the path You set forth for me to walk?

Compromise: means to lower one's standard or weaken one's standards...but through God's word that is sweeter than honey we gain understanding. We gain the wisdom to know which way to walk and that which we should avoid!

Psalm 119:103-104............103 How sweet are Your words to my taste,

Sweeter than honey to my mouth! 

104 Through Your precepts I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way.  NKJV

God's power in us is His Holy Spirit power! What has weakened our standards in view that the Word of God is that measure where we are at. If we did the plumb line, like we find in scripture, where would we be found? Isaiah 28:17...................17 I will make justice the measuring line 
and righteousness the plumb line; NIV


  Yes, God is totally unstoppable and He can flow through us to accomplish His will for our lives, but we never escape the consequence of sin in our lives. We have only covered a few passages of scripture on Samson's life. In respect to what we have seen, he walked into disobedience against his vow as a Nazirite.

I believe we are to enjoy life, and life abundantly, but not to compromise our heritage of having a Savior and knowing what He did for us! I believe we are to hold the Word continually before us to see if there be any problems!

Yes temptations can come into our lives, but how will we handle them?

If we find ourselves wanting to take "revenge" against someone for the hurt they have caused us, then we need to stop! Stop! Take a deep breath and pray!

In length of space I only wrote on the first portion of scripture on Samson. He had a life that dictated to his lust for women and in so doing was captured and blinded because of that sin. But we know at the end, even in bondage, in the last moments he had, he pleaded for the power of the Holy Spirit to return. He repented his sin before God and killed those who he was meant to take care for God in the first place. What transpired took him to a place where he had nothing left because the Spirit of God had left him and he did not know it! In reality we do not want the Holy Spirit to leave us, but in sin, the Holy Spirit will not be found in our life.
Compromise is a terrible thing and is a hard price to pay with in your body, health and relationships. Is there some area of weakness that should be addressed before it is too late? Is there something that seems harmless, but has the bite of asp, the venom to kill and destroy us?

I close with this scripture! It was one the Lord gave us when we (my husband and I) were saved many years ago!

Leviticus 20:22-26

22'You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. 23 And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them. 24 But I have said to you, "You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples. 25 You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. 26 And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. NKJV

Our walk should never be "well, he said" or "well, she said", no it should be the Word of God! Everything is plumbed with the line of "righteousness". It should always be what the Lord is speaking and showing us by His Holy Spirit. Because trials can come, our choice should be for life and flee the lust that brings despair and death?

Father, thank You for YOUR Word that is life to us. In Jesus' name, I pray that we be men and women who will not compromise, but put YOUR word as the STANDARD in our lives. Father, I pray that each of us would know Your power through Your Holy Spirit and not misuse it for frivolous gain. I pray that YOU would show any of us where we might have missed the mark. Where have we "compromised" Your Word in dealing with others?  I pray today that we would seek You in the Word and find that place that keeps us separated to You and from the world. We know temptations can come, but I pray that we would have put on that full armor to fight the fiery darts of the enemy. We are thankful that we are not under the Old Covenant, but have a New Living Covenant in Jesus Christ. Today, I expect and believe with a full heart that our land oozes and flows with that milk and honey. I believe us to have the fullness of what YOU have for us. Today I pray that we will continue to seek YOU and keep our focus on what You say. I pray for commitment to be in our hearts and that we will not turn back to folly.  ( Psalm 85:9) 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. NKJV.  AMEN!

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV)