Where God Comes First

Gods Empowerment. Sampson’s Pride Judges 16:22–30 (CSB)But his hair began to grow back after it had been shaved. The Philistine leaders gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed over to us Samson our enemy.” When the people saw him, they praised their god and said, “Our god has handed over to us our enemy, the one who devastated our land and killed many of us.” When they were in good spirits, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson from prison, and he entertained them. They had him stand between the pillars. Samson said to the young man who was guiding him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them.” Now the temple was full of men and women. All the Philistine leaders were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them. He called out to the LORD, “Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, God, just once more, so that I may take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes.” Samson took hold of the two middle pillars supporting the temple. He leaned against them, one on his right and the other on his left. Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the leaders and all the people in it. Those he killed at his death were more than those he killed in his life.

 

When Strength Becomes a Snare

 

Samson’s story is one of great strength and great failure. Chosen by God before birth and set apart for a holy purpose, Samson was entrusted with extraordinary power. Yet his life serves as a sobering reminder that strength without humility becomes a liability, and calling without obedience leads to collapse. His life warns us of how easily God-given strength can become a stumbling block when it is no longer surrendered to God.

 

Samson’s downfall did not begin with Delilah; it began with pride. He assumed God’s power would always be available regardless of how he lived. He treated temptation lightly, flirted with sin repeatedly, and trusted his own strength more than God’s instruction. Over time, arrogance replaced dependence, and compromise eroded discernment.

 

And yet, hidden in the shadows of his lowest moment, Scripture whispers hope:

 

"But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.” (Judges 16:22)

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That single sentence reminds us of a powerful truth: God was not finished with Samson—even when Samson looked finished.

 

Eventually, pride brought him low. Betrayed, captured, blinded, and bound, Samson was reduced to grinding grain in a Philistine prison. Yet even there, grace was at work. His hair began to grow back—quiet evidence that God was not finished.

 

Standing between the pillars, Samson prayed. Gone was arrogance; in its place was surrender. God answered that prayer, and Samson’s final act fulfilled his calling more powerfully than all his previous victories combined.

 

Over and over, Samson pushed boundaries:

•He touched what was forbidden.

•He pursued what God warned against.

•He played games with temptation.

•He assumed grace would always cover arrogance.

Samson confused God’s patience with God’s approval.

 

That mistake is not unique to Samson. Many men fall the same way—not in one catastrophic moment, but through a slow erosion of humility. We rely on past victories. We lean on reputation instead of repentance. We mistake gifting for godliness.

 

Eventually, Samson’s arrogance cost him everything. His eyes were gouged out. His freedom was taken. His strength left him. The man who once struck fear into the enemy became a trophy of mockery.

 

Bound, Blinded, and Brought Low

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The Philistines gathered to celebrate. They praised their false god, Dagon, claiming victory over Israel’s God. They paraded Samson as proof that righteousness fails and compromise wins.

 

Doesn’t failure feel like that?

 

When you fall, it feels public—even when it isn’t.

Shame magnifies the voices that say:

•“You’re done.”

•“God can’t use you now.”

•“You’ve disqualified yourself.”

 

Samson stood blinded between the pillars while thousands mocked him. He could hear their laughter but could not see their faces. He was surrounded by enemies, yet alone with his thoughts.

 

But the Philistines misunderstood what was happening. They thought the story was over. God was still writing.

 

While Samson’s strength had left, something else was returning. His hair was growing—but more importantly, his humility was growing too. Pride had made him reckless. Brokenness was making him dependent.

 

Grace Grows in the Dark

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Samson’s hair growing back is not about hair—it is about grace quietly at work. Restoration often begins invisibly. God does His deepest work where no one is applauding. Samson could not see his hair growing. The Philistines did not notice it. But God was faithful in the shadows.

 

The same is true for us. When failure blinds us and binds us, God does not abandon us. He begins rebuilding us from the inside out. Strength returns not through self-confidence, but through surrender.

 

Even bald men can still change the next generation when their hearts are surrendered to God. It was never about Samson’s hair—it was about his dependence.

 

One Last Cry

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As Samson stood between the pillars, he did something he had rarely done before:

 

He prayed.“O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once…” (Judges 16:28)

 

There was no boasting.

No flirting with danger.

No arrogance.

 

Just a broken man crying out for strength—not for fame, not for revenge, but for God’s purpose.

 

And God answered.

 

In that final moment, God restored Samson’s strength—not because Samson deserved it, but because God is faithful. Samson pushed against the pillars, and the building collapsed. His final act accomplished more for Israel than his life ever had before.

 

Samson’s greatest victory came after his greatest failure—when pride was finally gone.

 

Lessons for Us

 

We live in a culture that celebrates arrogance and mocks humility. Like Samson’s world, our society praises false gods—pleasure, power, self-expression—and ridicules biblical conviction.

 

Believers are mocked for standing on truth. Men are ridiculed for choosing holiness. Faith is treated as weakness.

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But hear this clearly: God is not finished with His people.

 

Grace is still growing in dark places.

Strength is still being restored through surrender.

And one humble prayer can change everything.