A complete FAILURE

Today's sermon was one of the best I've heard at church in weeks, if not months.

I remember reading about Samson last fall. The story is familiar enough - Samson has a great big bushy beard and long locks of hair, really strong, and the Philistines' bane. And he does all kinds of crazy stuff wrong.

He violated the Nazirite culinary laws (drinking wine).
He came into contact with dead carcasses (when he ate the honey out of the dead lion).
And of course, there was his problem with women (the prostitute and of course, Delilah).

In short, the man was a total failure. If the story to occur in modern settings, I somehow envision him a freewheeling, hard partying playboy type. Definitely not someone who's supposed to be "holy to the Lord."

But the beautiful thing is, in the midst of his tragic circumstances, despite all his failures, and having previously shown not a care for his his Nazirite vow/calling or position as judge... God still was able to use what happened for good. Samson called not on himself, but on God once more, from whom his strength truly came (as cool as they were, NOT the lion mane of hair or beard that he had).

²⁸Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes."

I'm thankful that God can, and does, use broken, sinful people for His great purposes. And even better, that we don't stay broken & sinful forever.

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."