Warriors Bible StudyMarch 7th, 2009
"There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light." - John 1:6-8
As Christians, I feel we are called for a higher purpose. From birth, we are all born with a clean slate, untouched by the world, yet susceptible to all it's good and it's evils. All of God's goodness shines through a baby (their eyes, their laugh, their smile) because they're pure and untouched by the pain from the trials and adversities of life.
Pains and trials that fade our light:I grew up in an abusive household. My mother use to beat me regularly, and the last time she beat me, I fell into a coma. Thinking she had killed me, my mom later admitted to me that she had been so scared she was thinking of how to get rid of my body.
Most of us have all faced trials and pains in our
lives that have caused our Godly light to fade.
The death of someone close to you?
Heart break from past relationships?
The loss of a job or a home?
Addictions or temptations with sex, pornography, drugs or alcohol?
Rape or sexual abuse?
Physical, mental, or emotional abuse?
Murder?
As our pains from these trials pile up in our minds and hearts - the light of God seems to fade out of us. For some of us, maybe the light is just a little dim, but for others, it seems like the light is not even there anymore.
About Samson, a Nazirite set apart for God's service:There was a man in the bible named Samson. Although he was mighty - he too faced trials of many kind.
Samson was said to be strong and courageous. He had the ability to tear apart a lion with his bare hands or kill a thousand men with just a jawbone of a donkey. He fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah who enticed him into revealing the secret of his strength – his long hair. She did this with the promise of riches by the rulers of the Philistines.
Knowing his secret, Delilah cut Samson's hair. His eyes were gouged out and he was made into a slave. But, as Samson's hair grew, so did his strength. One day the rulers ordered that Samson be brought to them to entertain them. Samson performed for them and while he rested he asked a servant to position his hands on the pillars. "Then Samson prayed to the Lord,
'Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God please strengthen me one more time so that I may pay back the Philistines for the loss of my eyes.' Then, Samson put his hands on the center pillars of the temple and pushed against them with all his might. 'Let me die with the Philistines,' he prayed. And the temple crashed down on the Philistine leaders and all the people.
Samson's weekness: He was addicted to Delilah and the attention he received from her. His relationship with her lead to a lot of heartache and eventually betrayal.
Betrayed by Delilah, Samson's eyes were gouged out, he was enslaved and made a mockery of. As these things were happening to one of the most mightiest of men ever in the Bible, I'm sure the light in Samson's heart must have faded but once he stood up again for God, he fulfilled his calling – defeating the Philistines.
(The story of Samson can be found in Judges 13-16 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2013-16&version=31)Revealing the light:How do we reveal the light of God that we have inside? Simple, by giving it to God, layer after layer, scare after scare. Through time the light of God will shine in you again, brighter and stronger than ever.
How do you give all your pain to God? (Comments)