Bible In One Year-Day 101 (Friday, April 11, 2014)

Commentary: Judges16-18. The ruin of Samson was not in the enemies surrounding him for greater was Him that was in him than the enemies around, Isaiah 59:19 “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

The ruin was in him revealing the secret of his strength due to his carelessness and indiscipline. Though he was highly anointed, his weakness was in his inability to resist influences. Though Delilah was an agent, yet she still asked honest questions from Samson three good times. This is how Satan uses the scriptural truth to negatively influence the believers. The negativity is using the truth but with a hidden agenda and evil motive. He did that to the first Adam and the last Adam, he has not changed that style till now. Those who always fall are the double minded. Good ideas could be suggested but with hidden agenda. Anxiety and ambition could be expressed in form of good suggestions. A lot of satanic agents had succeeded in falling great deal of children of God, men of God inclusive. Many think they could play games with the devil just as Samson was playing games with Delilah. A gradual fall is what the devil wants and this is what he pursues in men. Samson’s fall through Delilah was gradual. The first time, Samson was far from the secret of his strength, but by the second attempt, he was already talking about his hair, very close to total woe. Delilah did not give up;

Judges 16:16 “And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;” Samson told Delilah what his condition would be in verse17 if the strength was defiled, “… an ordinary man” what the enemy wants is for us to become ordinary persons, irrelevant, un-mattered, useless, subject of mockery, ridiculed and frustrated. Ahab was a king (power and authority), but unfortunately, the influence in his life was called Jezebel, a horrible spirit that had no power and authority but, through influence, uses the position of her husband to subdue other anointed men of God in favor of her husband to achieve her ulterior evil motive. She wanted more power for her husband just for her to achieve her motive. Such close and uncultured influences, if not tamed, could destroy dynasty and kill anointing. It destroys wonderful relations between good friends, in family and even with God.

If God calls, He shares some secrets with the person, Psalms 25:14 “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Not every of these secrets must be shared. Inability to keep secret is a horrible sickness and no matter the level of anointing, such cannot go far with God. Quite sometimes the Disciples asked Jesus questions but He told them it was not necessary for them to know. There are deep spiritual secrets that must find a place within you, this is your strength but when ego and pride (self centeredness) are still in your life, you will want people to see things they are not supposed to, just for them to respect you. What the enemy knows is what he will use against a person; Isaiah 30:15 “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.” The stronghold of your strength is in quietness but inability to keep quiet when and where necessary is the beginning of ruin; Micah 7:5 “Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.” Lack of discipline in this wise had made a lot of marriages to break, homes to scatter, caused destinies to be diverted and lives destroyed. The mouth is the gate of the heart and an unruly or untamed tongue is a trap of death. The enemy saw the hair of Samson but did not understand what it was all about until he revealed the secret to them. Don’t be careless with God’s grace.

James 1:26 “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” Our next reading is Judges19-21. Keep the fire burning and alive.