Remembering Samson

Failure. Disappointment. Schemer. Underachiever. None of these words describes someone in a positive light. They seem to be more descriptive of everyday, ordinary people, not one of God's strongest heroes.

Samson was a man chosen by God before his birth to become a powerful deliverer. He was given great strength that was directly correlated with his obedience. He was to keep a vow that included not cutting his hair. Like other areas of his life, he squandered and disregarded the priority and the boundaries of this vow. He pushed toward what was pleasing in his own eyes.

Samson, lured by a beauty loyal to his enemies, revealed to her the secret of his strength: his hair. His hair was the one portion of his vow that he faithfully kept. The woman secretly removed his hair and handed him over to those who hated him. They in turn tortured him and tucked him away in slave labor to be forgotten.

Yet there is one haunting phrase from this narrative that brings hope among despair: "and his hair began to grow."

God had in fact not forgotten him. God did not turn his back against this deliverer of disobedience and disappointment. The Lord saw him wallowing in his imprisonment. The great strong man was now broken by the path that had led him here. The once powerful reaper was now repentant of his own destructive ways.

His hair began to grow. Grinding the mill in the deep dark pit, his strength was restored. His eyes -- gouged out by those who hated him -- granted him the vision to see the faithfulness of God. Desperation filled him with the understanding that it is not he who is all-powerful, but the Lord.

His hair began to grow. God still acted in his life. God remained faithful to this faithless one. No matter how far away we wander from God, he sees us. No matter how much we reject him, he looks for us. No matter how much of a mess we make of our lives, he can still act on our behalf. We can rest in his power now. We do not have to journey to the brink of destruction to see him rescue us. Samson has already been there.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father and serves as the associate pastor at the First Baptist Church in Jackson.