“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” – Proverbs 13:20 The third theme in Samson’s life is women. He appears to be a man obsessed with them, longing for a satisfying relationship, but so sexually unhinged, emotionally unhappy, and spiritually unhealthy that he never has a loving … Read more
“…and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house.” – Judges 14: 19 Can you imagine Samson sitting on a psychiatrist’s couch talking about his … Read more
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” … Read more
“That night the LORD said to him [Gideon], ‘Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of the stronghold here, with … Read more
“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.” – Proverbs 29:25 [NLT] Circumstances in today’s world have given us every reason to be afraid. Wars are raging in Ukraine and Israel. Inflation is at an all-time high, and some people are still reeling with fear and anxiety from the pandemic. Did … Read more
“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy … Read more
Life often reminds me of the first time I remember flying a kite as a kid. My entire focus was on getting the kite in the air. I kept running back and forth, as fast as I could, dragging the kite behind me, hoping it would eventually take off and soar. I don’t know how … Read more
The appearance of Gideon, the man of God, as bread in the dream also points to the future coming of Jesus Christ, the Greater Gideon. Like Gideon, Jesus is called the “bread of life,” is born in Bethlehem (which means “house of bread”), multiplied the bread of a boy to feed a crowd, and taught … Read more
In Judges 6, Jesus Christ appears as “the angel [or messenger] of the Lord” from Heaven. His visit is to one man, Gideon, who is hiding out, threshing wheat in a winepress. This would indicate absolute poverty, because he must have had little wheat to thresh, in a small walled winepress instead of an open … Read more
Proverbs 29:25 – The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Florence loved her family, but she and her husband both experienced anxiety as the holidays approached because going back to her parents’ home with all her siblings was like a movie where you go back in time. … Read more
Galatians 6:2-5 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will … Read more
1 Timothy 3:4-5 – He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? When there is anxiety in the family, the members commonly respond in one of four ways. In flight, … Read more