Samson was a strong man - a very strong man. He did not become strong by exercising and weight lifting; he was strong because it was God’s choice to make him so. The nation where he was born was under the control of Philistine conquerors, and they were afraid to do anything to get free.
Samson found a woman in the land of the Philistines who seemed just right for him to marry, and he went to visit her. It was a difficult trip for a man, even a strong man, to take alone. A loud roar, which was much too close, alerted him that a fierce lion was about to spring on him - teeth, claws and all!
I don’t really think that Samson’s strength was in his muscles, but in the power of God. He faced that hungry, vicious creature with his bare hands and tore it to death! Samson said to himself, I won’t tell anybody about the lion . . . this is my secret.
After a while he passed the same spot again, and there in the dead lion’s carcass was a surprise-bees!-lots of them! In the carcass he found a large amount of sweet honey. (And do you know something? This happened thousands of years ago, but the bees knew then how to store their honey in six-sided cells of beeswax, just as they do today.)
A handful of dripping honey was just as sweet as our honey is today, and I’m sure it left him licking his lips. He shared the honey with his father and mother too, but where the honey came from was still his secret.
God has secrets too. Why does He send troubles into our lives? You and I have troubles which hurt and scare us and make us cry. If God really loves us, why does He send troubles to us?
That is one of God’s secrets. The lion did not run away, but God gave Samson the strength to win the victory. And here’s something else to think about. After a while, he found sweet honey in that lion carcass, and it was good food for others as well as himself.
The biggest trouble that anyone in the world has ever faced was the cross of Calvary where the Savior Jesus was crucified. Our Jesus could have called for angels to destroy those evil men, but instead of that, He let them nail Him to that cross, and He suffered in the darkness for our sins. Now He is risen and has gone back to heaven. And right now He says to you, “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:88O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8)). And the sweetness of knowing Jesus as your Savior is not just for today . . . it’s forever!
Maybe all you can hear today is the roar of great, big troubles. Maybe you see the teeth and claws of some danger which seems to be ruining your life. Will you remember that our Lord Jesus has already conquered the power of our enemy Satan? Jesus promised there would be troubles in your life. But then He adds, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:3333These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)).
Someday you will find a blessing hidden inside that trouble. But until then, God keeps His secrets. Can you trust Him? . . . even if you can’t see how any good could come from your trouble? His wisdom is perfect, and His love never fails!
Think About God’s Word!
1. What did Samson find in the lion’s carcass?
2. Have you ever worried over a problem that turned out well in the end? What happened to Job in the last chapter of Job?
Project: How does Satan try to scare us? One of the Bible’s answers is in 1 Peter 5.