Straying from good beginnings has dire consequences

Can a judge ever miss it? Can a judge ever make the wrong call or the wrong decision? 

Well, the reality is that it does not matter what your degree or pedigree is, when you begin to transgress against God, you have already missed it and will continue to miss it.

The erroneous decisions adults make are usually as a result of forgetting or intentionally going against the principles taught to them by their parents. 

When adults stray, or go off track, from good upbringings, the consequences can be dire. 

Samson 

There was brightness and brilliance in Samson (his name means ‘man of the sun’). He came from the tribe of Dan, which means ‘judges’. Samson was set to shine forth in brightness as he judged over the city, representing the brightness of God over the people of God. 

Don’t you know that the more your light is set to shine forth for God, the more you will be tempted, by the devil, to get off track? 

Remember, that Satan was known as ‘the morning sun’ and he resided in Heaven, in the very presence of God. That was the most blessed place to be. 

However, Satan was lifted up in pride and lost his place in the presence of God. Ever since then, his aim has been to cause mankind, created in the image of God, to lose their place. He began with Adam and Eve, moved on to Samson, and he continues with mankind today. 

Everyone has an area of temptation or weakness that the enemy desires to exploit to the fullest. 

Seduction

The devil is a very patient opponent. He will wait until you think you are too grown, too intelligent, too strong, or too important to get defeated, and that’s exactly when he will step in to seduce you from your destiny. 

Judges 16:4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 

5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

Your sight will cause you to receive the vision. Your sight will be attacked so that you become blinded and oblivious to whatever angle the enemy attack is coming.

Unfortunately, for Samson, he loved foreign women. He was distracted when he saw what he had not been introduced to or what he was not permitted to be around in his youth. Samson wondered from his beginnings; he forgot a moral law that he was supposed to keep. Samson joined himself to women who were not joined to his God. 

Woman number 1: The original non-Israelite from Timnath — Samson was completely smitten and married her against his parents’ desire. 

Woman number 2: A harlot from Gaza. 

Woman number 3: Delilah from the Philistines.

Samson crossed the line and made a conscious choice to disobey God. Be careful that what you see does not send you in the wrong place, away from God and His will for your life. 

Samson misjudged Delilah, whose means, “weakened, uprooted and impoverished”. Her purpose was posted in her name, and because Samson was profoundly preoccupied by what he saw, he missed the obvious. 

Satan is a master deceiver and will have you thinking that life is so good just before he rips your life away from you. Do not even give place to the devil. 

Remember where you have come from. Remember who you are. Remember to honour your parents in all you do. 

If you forget that, then the favour that God had resting upon you will no longer be yours. Respice finem. n