Daily Devotions
It's Not How You Start But How You Finish
Reading for March 24th: Judges 16-18
Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once..."
...And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords...
Judges 16:28, 30
How did Samson end up in the "Hall of Fame of Faith" (Hebrews 11:32)? Samson was brash, arrogant, rebellious, and self-centered. How does he end up memorialized in a list of the greatest men and women who ever lived? We're talking about Abraham and Moses, Noah and Sarah! These are paragons of faith. What faith do we see in Samson?
Just about the only example we can find is when Samson prays at the end of his life. He realizes, finally, that the source of his strength is God, and so he prays to have his strength back just one last time to defeat the Philistines.
What an example for us! For all the sins in our life, we can overcome them all by God's grace. The Christian race is a marathon, not a sprint. We're going to stumble and fall. Winning the race is not about flawless perfection, but about patient endurance. This race is not about speed or getting the best time. It's about finishing.
And that may be the best thing we can say about Samson. He finished. Though his faith may not be evident in his life, his faith really shines in his death. For all of his blunders and failures, he was victorious in the end.
Samson was not a fast runner or even an average runner for most of his race. But he finished strong, and in the end that's all that matters.
Gracious Father, we've failed you so many times! But you have promised to never forsake us! You are faithful to your promises! Today is a new day! Help us to do better today! Help us to finish strong!
