What Steps Can You Take?

If you don't know his story,

·         Samson was actually called by God and set apart from birth to help deliver the Israelites from the oppressive hands of the Philistines.

·         Samson was given a supernatural strength in order to do what God called him to do.

·         As so common with men that have so much potential, Samson again and again makes bad decisions.

Three issues to think about:

1.   Samson had a problem with lust; 'I want it', as he pursued a Philistine woman, something he was forbidden to do.

2.   The second problem Samson has is entitlement; 'I deserve it', as he did things and touched things that were forbidden in his Nazirite vows.

3.   The third problem we see is pride; as he puts himself around alcohol. Again, something he wasn't supposed to do, as he says, 'I can handle it; I want it, I deserve it and I can handle it!'

The wises thing Samson did was Cry out to God.

When Samson was Thirsty he cried out to God in Judges 15:19-20

Let's read it. 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. 20 Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines (Judg 15:19-20).

Let's pause for a moment. If you're not careful, you can read just right past verse 20, that is really an amazing verse. In fact, it's kind of like the first really good news we see in this whole story, because in one verse it captures twenty years of apparent faithfulness. Samson had just had an experience with the Living God as he was revived and refreshed and all of a sudden now, he's on the right track doing what he was created to do, and one verse summarizes it:

...for the next twenty years he led faithfully as a judge over Israel.

He was on the right track! Samson was the leader of 20 years of peace, prosperity, relative freedom.

This looks like he put his problems behind him. But he ignored and covered his weaknesses.

Watch though tragically, a guy who is doing things well; honoring God, serving Him, as many of you may be right now. By the end of this study today, we're going to see a guy with so much God-given potential making poor decisions, ending up with his eyes gouged out, his hands shackled; he's the laughing stock in front of the enemies, the Philistines. And it raises the question, how could a man with so much strength, with so much God-ordained potential, mess up his life so badly? And the answer is our key thought for the day if you're taking notes is this:

SAMSON DIDN’T RUIN HIS LIFE ALL AT ONCE. HE RUINED IT ONE STEP AT A TIME.

One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. 2 The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him." Judges 16:1-2

Samson walked to Gaza—Philistine headquarters. This was Public enemy #1. His walk to Gaza is 25 miles from Samson’s home town Zorah.

Stupid enough to risk so much for a quick fix or little high or little hit?

Countless men do it every day.

He basically walked 25 miles: This was about 56,250 steps that lead him to destruction. We have seen men take step after step to sexual addiction, bankruptcy, affair.

SAMSON’S SMALL STEPS lead TOWARD HIS BIG DESTRUCTION

Are you moving toward the Lord or away from HIM?

What needs to improve in your life right now?