The Spirit of the Lord

Many assume that Samson was strong because he never cut his hair. That somehow it was his hair that gave him special powers. But the Bible makes it clear that the real source of this strength was God’s Spirit. It was when “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily” that he could kill a lion with his bare hands. He killed Philistines (Judges 15:14-15) and men of Ashkelon because of the Spirit.

Samson seemed to think that he was strong because of his hair (Judges 15:16). But, after Delilah cut his hair, he lost his strength because “the LORD had departed from him.” In his final act, Samson had strength for one moment, but it was God who gave him that strength (Judges 16:20-28).

In fact, his hair was a symbol of his commitment to obey God and trust Him.

All of us can be tempted to trust in our own resources and abilities. Our relationships and our appearance. Like Samson, we can rely on ourselves and trust in our appearance.

But we need to remember to depend on God’s Spirit for everything in our lives: Every idea. Every skill. Every resource.

Like Samson, we need to realize that the key to our lives is being used by His Spirit. It is when we surrender our lives to His Spirit that He can use us mightily. It is through His Spirit that we have wisdom and understanding, joy and peace, power and authority.

Today, don’t make the mistake of trusting in your own abilities, talents, or resources. Be filled with the Spirit. Learn to be sensitive to Him, depending on Him in every situation you face.