Samson seems to be one of the most popular people in the Bible. Young boys especially love to hear the stories of his great strength; but the question is, when thinking about Samson, do we often give him the credit for his strength, when the glory should go to God? Let us then take a look at some verses. Here is the first display of this great strength:

Judges 14:5-6- Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timath, and came to the vineyards of Timath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

Wow! Samson slays a lion with his bare hands! However, there is a key detail here in regard to where his strength came from. "the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him..." Without the Lord's strength, the lion would have had his way with him. Much like the lions would have with Daniel, if the Lord was not with him. Let's look at another.

Judges 15:14-15- And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

Again we see a great feat of strength. To kill a thousand men by himself, amazing! Yet again we see that the "Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him..." Once again all glory goes to God.

Samson's death is as famous as his life. He is bound in a stadium and leaning up against two pillars begins to push them until they break and the whole stadium comes a tumblin down. Yet, we see Samson offer up this prayer prior to carrying out the act:

Judges 16:28- AND Samson called unto the Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

A prayer offered and a prayer answered. So I concluded, as much as we love the stories of Samson's strength, we should actually be in awe of God's.

In christ,