Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
This passage of scripture teaches us that there is no limit to what the human agent can do through the grace and strength of Christ, for with the Christian the sky is indeed the limit, and for this reason, we should always set our standard of achievement to the highest possible level. We should never conclude that any worthy goal isn't within our reach, though many hurdles may abound, for with God, nothing shall be impossible. But what we must also never forget is where our spiritual and physical strength comes from. Whatever may be our specialty, gift, or talent, it all comes from God and the strength to exercise these abilities also comes from Him.
God does not give us gifts for us to then conclude that we can run on automatic, apart from Him, for none of us can live or exist without God, a fact that many people do not acknowledge or fully understand. All created beings exist because of God, and although He has given to all members of the human family the gift of life, yet we do not breathe on our own, neither does our heart beat on its own, independent of Christ. The scripture is very clear on this sacred truth that has been hidden under a bushel for too long. Let's read:
Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein" .... 25 "Giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth" .... 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.
This sacred truth is what Samson lost sight of, for like many of us living today, he erroneously came to the conclusion over a period of time, that God engages us only in the spiritual aspects of our existence, and not in the physical realm. Samson was blessed with tremendous physical strength, the likes of which have not been seen on the earth since his time, but instead of walking humbly with God, and depending on Him everyday, he bit by bit began to indulge the belief that his great strength was his, to use as he pleased, independent of God who had given him the gift in the first place. Let's read:
Judges 14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6 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. 19 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
In these two instances, the Bible clearly states who was the source of Samson's strength, for in both cases it says that the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and thus he was enabled to perform those singular feats described in his experiences. But after a while Samson lost sight of the source of His strength, both spiritual and physical, and began trusting to his own wisdom and might to extricate himself from the temptations he had encouraged, as a result of his lust. The devil must of necessity seek to separate us from God before his temptations can assert their power over us, and hence the reason why he tempts us to indulge in habits and vices that will surely bring upon us God's displeasure.
In the case of Samson, women were his weak point, and even though he had tried in vain on his own to escape the deadly snares set for his feet, yet if he had trusted in God, and had depended on Him for grace and strength in times of dire need, he would have been victorious, both physically and spiritually, for the strength that God gives to us applies equally to both dimensions of our being. But having lost sight of God, he went out on a limb, and tried to exert his strength when in grave danger, only to find out that God had departed from him, and as a result, he became as weak as other men. Let's read:
Judges 16:18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines" ...... 19 "And she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.
In our own experiences, we too may be tempted to think at times that our strength and our several abilities are the result of our own doings, and like Samson we may begin to make the fatal mistake that we can achieve our goals on our own, independent of Christ. The health and longevity that God promises to His people is not primarily the result of eating veggies and exercising, but is the direct result of Him working within us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Although we are to cooperate with God in the areas of diet and exercise, yet He will have us understand that it is His power that is exercised through these means to fulfill His promises to us, and thus we should never give undue credit to the agencies through which He works, because both the knowledge and the power comes from God alone.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth to us, and it is the will of God that we learn to depend on Him for everything, for without Him, we can do nothing. Let's read:
Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!