“God repeatedly uses the least-likely...to make the deepest impact on our world.”
JUDGES 12-14
2A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. 3The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. 5You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”(13:2-5)
LUKE 9:37-62
46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thohts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
JOURNAL
The story of Samson has always been a fascinating one for me. The story plays out like a Greek tragedy. You have the super hero power thing and then the tragic end. So what's the deal with his power and not cutting the hair? In doing a little research...the hair was symbolic of the Nazarite vow...kind of like a wedding ring is symbolic of marriage. So his strength was not because of his hair but rather his hair was symbolic of his dedication to God.
Jesus says that "it is the one that is least among you all who is the greatest." God works in ways that defy conventional wisdom. We assume that the strongest, smartest, most blessed are who God favors and yet scripture gives us a very different picture. Scripture continually shows us that God takes the least likely and does great things through them. This is a lesson in perseverance and in judging ourselves, others and circumstances. We never really know what God is up to and often it is the opposite of what we would predict. Just as Jesus says "For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest."
The story of Samson has always been a fascinating one for me. The story plays out like a Greek tragedy. You have the super hero power thing and then the tragic end. So what's the deal with his power and not cutting the hair? In doing a little research...the hair was symbolic of the Nazarite vow...kind of like a wedding ring is symbolic of marriage. So his strength was not because of his hair but rather his hair was symbolic of his dedication to God.
Jesus says that "it is the one that is least among you all who is the greatest." God works in ways that defy conventional wisdom. We assume that the strongest, smartest, most blessed are who God favors and yet scripture gives us a very different picture. Scripture continually shows us that God takes the least likely and does great things through them. This is a lesson in perseverance and in judging ourselves, others and circumstances. We never really know what God is up to and often it is the opposite of what we would predict. Just as Jesus says "For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest."
26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”d
1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-31
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