In the book of Judges, we see the story of Samson. Samson was known for his strength. He was able to rip a lion’s mouth apart (Judges 14:5-6). He tore gates off a city wall and carried them up a hill (Judges 16:3). And several times he was vastly outnumbered yet killed his enemies.
We may not have any of the kind of battles Samson had in life, but we all face challenges and struggles. We all need God’s strength to be able to overcome challenges and obey Him in life. We all need to figure out how to use God’s strength to handle these things.
Samson did not fight these battles alone. While he may have been physically jacked, he had been given supernatural strength by God. Four different times in his story we see that God gave strength to Samson. Three times it says, “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Him.”
But Samson didn’t have this special strength all the time. One time Samson disobeyed God thinking God would give him special strength anyway. Samson was cocky and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free (16:20).” But this was not the case this time. God didn’t give him special strength because he had disobeyed. He was unable to free himself and it says, “but he did not know that the Lord had left him.”
Too often we act like Samson. We follow God and receive blessings. This is a good cycle. Then one day, we give up on God. Whether we reject Him altogether, or we just decide to not follow Him on one occasion. Then we are surprised when we don’t receive His blessing. To receive God’s strength, we need to obey Him.
How can we receive God’s strength? Here are seven practical ways to receive strength from God.
First, we need to obey Him.
Second, experience weekly rejuvenation by following His call to Sabbath.
Third, follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance and protection.
Fourth, receive encouragement through reading His Word.
Fifth, realize that He fights our battles for us as God.
Sixth, rely on Him through prayer.
Seventh, realize that He has overcome death so that we to have the strength to overcome death someday. This is the God we serve, and the one who can give us strength to overcome.
Do you make God your strength, or try to do life on your own? Do you look for Him to bless you despite your disobedience, or realize you will find the greatest blessings through following Him? Do you try to do life on your own through an independent Spirit, or do you rely on Him?
Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes or Googleplay.