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Today is Sunday March 29, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Judges. Please read chapters 15-17 in your Bible or you can Click Here to read them online. If the link does not work you can copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2015-17&version=9

Today's Message: Unequally Yoked
The word yoked means to be or become joined, linked, or united with someone or thing. It is importat that we as Christians not become yoked with unbelievers because it keeps us from fulfilling God's Will in our lives.

Samson judged Israel for twenty years, but there is no record that he ever expressed a desire to be used by God to deliver the Israelites from the Philistine's control. So, it is no surprise to learn that he never really did much for God unless he had his own personal agenda in mind for doing it nor did he pray for guidance and protection.

First, he refused to follow God's will by making friends with and even marrying a Philistine woman. It was only out of the anger of his father-in-law giving his wife to another man that he went after the Philistines. "But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure." (Judges 15:1-3). Samson disregarded everyone in his life to fulfill his own desires, it was only when he did not get what he wanted that he acted on those emotions.

Secondly, he never thanked God nor trusted in Him to provide for him. "And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years." (Judges 15:18-20). Samson failed to recognize that God was with him helping him to defeat the Philistines, never once do we read of him giving thanks to God or trusting in Him to provide for his needs.

Lastly, he became deeply involved with Delilah, another Philistine woman whose also only desried to please herself. "And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 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." (16:4-5). When Samson saw Delilah, he should have run for the hills, but instead, once again, followed his own desires and ran right into her deceptive ways. He became blinded by sin and the reason he had been given such great strength.

Sadly, we learn that Samson was defeated and forced to take the place of an animal and spend his time turning the mill to grind corn into meal for his captors. "And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house." (16:18-21).

The tragic story of Samson should send a strong message to every Christian who has fallen into the treacherous web of sinful pleasures. Too often, they ignore God by making friends and even marrying those who are ungodly due to their own personal desires, causing much pain and suffering not only to themselves, but everyone around them. That is why it is important that we do not hang out with nor marry unbelievers. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (II Corinthians 6:14).

No matter how good looking, nice, or helpful unbelievers are we can not let ourselves become friends or spouses with them because they will slowly drive us away from God and into worldly living. Now, I am sure there are some readers that are suffering right now due to this reason, I pray that God will give you the guidance, strength, and help you need to get through your situation.

Today's Psalm: 5:8
"Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face."

Have a wonderful and blessed week.
God bless,
Christina

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