Day 7 - Don't Believe Your Own Hype

Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. - Judges 16:20 (NASB)

The Man Cave at Men’s Retreat ‘19

As a kid, I loved pro-wrestling. Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, and Bret “The Hit Man” Hart were some of my heroes. 7-year-old me thought this was what a man was supposed to be like: Muscles stacked on muscles, all the women wanted just to touch their biceps, all the other guys were so jealous of what they had that they were willing fight (and fight dirty) to take it from them. Of course, as I got older, I learned that these men were some of the most obnoxious people to work with in the industry. They forgot the key fact about pro-wrestling most grown men eventually learn - it’s scripted drama - and began to believe their own hype. The fact is, unless the writers for the show wanted you to be liked and famous, most of the time the fans wouldn’t even know who you were. When we think of Samson, doesn’t he also fit this description? Hulk like strength, an ultimate warrior, and a cunning adversary of the Philistines. People always seem to have an idea as to what did Samson in - but it wasn’t the women, it wasn’t the hair being cut. In fact, his strength wasn’t so much in his hair but cutting it would manifest his disobedience to the Lord, a disobedience that had already begun long before Delilah got out her barber kit. God was the source of his strength, the only reason we even remember his name, but Samson had become so calloused to the presence of the Holy Spirit, that the Bible says “he did not know that the Lord had left him.”

Action Point: Seek after God’s presence today. Don’t rely on the stuff you’ve always done, but seek Him, ask Him to root out any sin that may be causing you to slip away from His presence.

Prayer Suggestion: Father, if I have anything in my life that is separating me from you, any wall I’ve built or barrier I’ve put up, any pride that says I am the source of my strength, root it out today and destroy it. I can do nothing without You, Jesus. Be my strength today. Amen.

- Jeff Williams, ND Men Team