Kryptonite

Judges 16:17 -- "Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. 'My hair has never been cut,' he confessed, 'for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.' "

Brown hair was collecting at my feet. Djibouti, one of our cats, tried to catch it as it fell and was soon peppered with bits of hair that weaved themselves into her long white hair.  She looked pretty ridiculous, and Brian laughed as I snipped some more brown off the top of his head. I don't know why the hair seems to multiply as it falls to the ground, but the at end of cutting the guys' hair - there seems to be much more of it on the floor than there was while it was on their heads. Not even counting the stuff that sticks to the cats.

As I finished the tight trimming around B's ears he asked me: "if Samson asked God to help him get a little pay-back from those who wronged him, why can't we?"

Well, now there's a question. And quite frankly, it took me a minute to mull this one over because my very
first thought was: 'yeah.....why can't we?'

I turned the story on it's head. Asked Brian a question of my own.

"Would you want God to recant His grace when you wrong others? Would you want Him to grant them permission to 'get a little pay-back?'

I could just about SEE the smoke coming out of Brian's ears as he mentally chewed on those questions. But his question really did bring up an interesting frame of thought. Our biblical superhero, Samson was put to the test on numerous occasions prior to his betrayal from Delilah - and each time, he came out the victor. AFTER his betrayal, he asked God to give him the strength to pay them back for taking his eyes - and perhaps surprisingly, God did just that. The one thing that grabbed my attention during my re-visit to this story was the plea from Samson's lips. He didn't ask God to help him destroy the people who had flat out disrespected God and tormented His people. He asked God to help him because they gouged out his eyes. THAT's kind of interesting.

I suppose from Samson's point of view -- God helped him serve up some good 'ole fashion and rather bloody Vendetta. But as I thought more about this story, it occurred to me the victory really wasn't about Samson. It was ALL about God. And this is what I ended up sharing with Brian:

From Samson's very first breath on this earth - he was given to God. He was born specifically to serve whatever purpose God chose to bestow upon him. During the time frame of Samson's life - that purpose was very  physical. He was God's secret weapon [although really, Samson didn't stay very secret about his work, did he?] And in spite of Samson's personal Kryptonite - women - God used Samson's life to the very end of it. His life was God's to use in whatever manner seemed appropriate to God.

The same applies to us. We are God's to command. We are here to serve Him - not the other way around. Our every breath is to bring glory to God's name and share His amazing grace. What glorifies God when we seek pay back from some very earthly slight? Even when that slight is fatal - or brutal - or unfathomable, God says 'Vengeance is Mine'. A brief review of some amazing Bible stories confirms my faith in God's power. I'll leave things in His hands. Just as His hands moved across the lands of His people in the book of Judges -- He will do so again.