GOD STORIES : The strength to Surrender Part 5 of 10

GOD STORIES

The strength to Surrender 

Part 5 of 10

“I have fought long and hard for my Lord, and through it all I have kept true to him. And now the time has come for me to stop fighting and rest. In heaven a crown is waiting for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And not just to me but to all those whose lives show that they are eagerly looking forward to his coming back again.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8 LB)

 “…Your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan.” (Ephesians 6:10-11 LB)

“It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and all the other prophets These people all trusted God and as a result won battles, overthrew kingdoms, ruled their people well, and received what God had promised them. Some, through their faith, escaped death by the sword. Some were made strong again after they had been weak or sick. Others were given great power in battle; they made whole armies turn and run away. But others trusted God and were beaten to death, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free—trusting that they would rise to a better life afterwards.” (Hebrews 11:32-35 LB)

“And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him …” (Judges 13:24-25 ESV)

THREE CHARACTERISTICS THAT WILL WEAKEN YOUR LIFE:

1. weakens my life.

“Samson went down to Timnah. There in Timnah a woman caught his eye, a Philistine girl. He came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, a Philistine girl; get her for me as my wife.” (Judges 14:1-2 MSG)

“His parents said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among the girls in the neighborhood of our people? Do you have to go get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? “But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the one I want—She’s the right one.” (Judges 14:3 MSG)

“Don’t be misled; remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it: a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows! If he sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death.” (Galatians 6:7 LB)

“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” (Proverbs 25:28)

“I have the right to do anything,” you say, but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything,” but I will not be mastered by anything. 

(1 Corinthians 6:12)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23)

2.  weakens my life.

“Samson said to them, ‘This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.'” (Judges 15:3)

“Samson said to them, ‘Since you’ve acted like this, I swear that I will not stop until I get my revenge on you.” (Judges 15:7)

“I merely did to them what they did to me.” (Judges 15:11)

“In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

“Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32)

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

““A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” (Proverbs 29:11)

3. weakens my life.

“You will have to live with the consequences of everything you say.” (Proverbs 18:20 G. N.)

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

“Samson would be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb, and would begin delivering Israel from the Philistines.” (Judges 13:5)

“No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” (Judges 16:17)

“He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I will go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the LORD had left him.” (Judges 16:20)

“A person of integrity honors those who fear the LORD and keeps an oath even when it hurts.” (Psalm 15:4)

“Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.”               (Judges 16:21-22)

“Then Samson prayed to the LORD, ‘Sovereign LORD, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more …'” (Judges 16:28)

“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson … whose weakness was turned to strength.”         (Hebrews 11:32, 34)

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”        (Romans 5:8)

All translations in New International Version unless noted