“Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.’ (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines)”
Judges 14:4-5
The story in Judges tells us that Samson’s parents were not too pleased with his selection of a wife, and rightly so. But they could not have known at the time that God had determined to use Samson’s character flaws to bring about His desired end.
Wouldn’t we all love to have a testimony of having made all the right decisions in life? To have gone from strength to strength with a long list of worthy accomplishments that will matter in eternity? I am certain that most of you reading this have in mind a poor decision on your part (or someone else’s that affected you) that you can now see, in hindsight, had an unseen handprint that kept you from greater harm and somehow even brought redemptive purposes out of it.
What does this knowledge do for you today? I believe it should have a calming effect on your life to know that God was at work in and around those decisions, both good and bad, without you knowing it. Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said, “Life must be lived forward, but it can only be understood backward.” The understanding gained should lead to a more peaceful today and a more confident tomorrow as we lean into the One “who is able to work out everything in conformity to the purpose of his will.” Ephesians 1:11
Pastor Doug
