so yesterday, i was thinking about switchfoot's song "on fire" and i had the urge to look into samson's story when i heard this part of the song:
give me one more time around
give me one more chance to see
give me everything you are
give me one more chance to be near you
when everything inside me
looks like everything i hate
you are the hope i have for change
you are the only chance i'll take
i'm on fire when you're near me
i'm on fire when you speak
i'm on fire burning at these mysteries
standing on the edge of me
standing on the edge of me
standing on the edge of everything i've never been before...
i guess i recalled samson's final plea for God to give him one more chance-- one more burst of might so he could take out the philistines and die with them.
reading the whole story, it was interesting to see where he screwed up. i'd like to say that he's the typical male, but we're all quite aware of my recent cynicism. his downfall was obviously women. on top of that, every time he had a victory, he never acknowledged God.
samson screwed up several times. first, he let his wife in on a riddle and watched her rat out the answer to the philistines; this cost him 30 changes of clothes. secondly, it was noted that he visited a harlot (not delilah), and almost got trapped in the gates of one of the philistine cities. lastly, the one that killed him, he fell for delilah, who managed to get his secret out after several noticeably harmful events. how stupid was he to tell her his secret? did he not realize what he was doing to himself?
he was finally captured by the philistines, and what did they take from him? his eyes. i think it is ironic that they took his eyes; his eyes were responsible for all of his mistakes. on the last day of his life, i could only imagine how miserable he was. he knew he screwed up. he could no longer see. he lost his strength. he lost sight of God.
standing between two pillars, he finally acknowledged God. he begged God to give him one more time around. he begged God to be near him once more. he was standing on the edge of everything he had never been before-- weakness. what did God do? he gave samson one more time around. though samson's eyesight was gone, God gave him one more chance to see. samson pushed the pillars and killed more philistines than he had killed throughout his life. and with them, he died.
i can't help but wonder why God gave him that strength. why would God give him the last thing that he deserves? because this is our God. because we don't get what we deserve.
God, i am standing on the edge of everything i've never been before, and i know that i don't deserve a thing. would you give me one more time around and one more chance to see? when everything inside me looks like everything i hate, you are the hope i have for change; you are the only chance i'll take.
reading the whole story, it was interesting to see where he screwed up. i'd like to say that he's the typical male, but we're all quite aware of my recent cynicism. his downfall was obviously women. on top of that, every time he had a victory, he never acknowledged God.
samson screwed up several times. first, he let his wife in on a riddle and watched her rat out the answer to the philistines; this cost him 30 changes of clothes. secondly, it was noted that he visited a harlot (not delilah), and almost got trapped in the gates of one of the philistine cities. lastly, the one that killed him, he fell for delilah, who managed to get his secret out after several noticeably harmful events. how stupid was he to tell her his secret? did he not realize what he was doing to himself?
he was finally captured by the philistines, and what did they take from him? his eyes. i think it is ironic that they took his eyes; his eyes were responsible for all of his mistakes. on the last day of his life, i could only imagine how miserable he was. he knew he screwed up. he could no longer see. he lost his strength. he lost sight of God.
standing between two pillars, he finally acknowledged God. he begged God to give him one more time around. he begged God to be near him once more. he was standing on the edge of everything he had never been before-- weakness. what did God do? he gave samson one more time around. though samson's eyesight was gone, God gave him one more chance to see. samson pushed the pillars and killed more philistines than he had killed throughout his life. and with them, he died.
i can't help but wonder why God gave him that strength. why would God give him the last thing that he deserves? because this is our God. because we don't get what we deserve.
God, i am standing on the edge of everything i've never been before, and i know that i don't deserve a thing. would you give me one more time around and one more chance to see? when everything inside me looks like everything i hate, you are the hope i have for change; you are the only chance i'll take.
1 comments:
this was the best blog i have read in a really long time.
thanks for posting this!
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