Dear Faith Family, 

Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, (Judges 16:28). 

It was a cold, dark, rainy night (ok, it wasn’t really cold, and it wasn’t raining).  But it was 11:00 at night dark.  Yes, son, I’ll bring your spare key to get into your car.  Keys missing?  Easy peasy.  Not a big problem.  Plastic food skewer – broken off in the one (let me emphasize that there are no others) door lock on the entire car?  Apparently, they don’t make plastic food skewers that double as car keys the way they used to!  Now that’s a problem. 

You know where this is going, right?  Anybody got a clothes hanger?  Time to start bending.  Don’t you hate it when you finally reach the lock inside the car, but you need just a little more bend.  No amount of head tilt or body twisting seems to further bend the inserted hanger.  So, out it comes and then there’s the fashioning of the tool. 

Speaking of tools, you do remember Samson, right?  What do you remember about him?  Strong dude?  Do you remember his friend (but was she really?) – how could you forget a name like Delilah?  And there’s the long hair.  And what about the whole catch and release – 300 foxes complete with flaming trailer?! 

How many of us remember Samson for his weakness?  He saw.  He wanted.  He demanded.  Demanded what?  A wife from the enemies of God!  And after that painful trainwreck of a relationship, again he saw.  He wanted. And he had.  And once again?  Failure.  This failure left him bald, sightless, and helplessly bound. 

Fast forward to the end of Samson’s life.  That’s him at the pagan party, a worship service to the Philistine’s false god.  He’s over there at the center of the party.  Do you see him?  A showcase of defeat.  A picture of utter humility.  A mockery between the pillars. 

Painful as it is, keep looking.  Do you see his lips moving?  What’s he saying?  He’s praying?  For what?  Listen carefully.  Listen to the tone.  Somehow Samson is different.  Something’s missing.  Pride?  Self-confidence?  Arrogance?  This is a different prayer.  A humble prayer.  An undeserving request.  A recognition of the hopefully gracious Giver and the unworthy receiver. 

Keep watching.  The spotlight wasn’t really on Samson.  He was the tool.  God, Himself, was the wielder of the tool.  Look closely.  You might just see God’s handiwork in the way that he used Samson as a tool to defeat His enemies (the single greatest act in the entirety of Samson’s life).  But there’s more.  You might also discover God’s handiwork in fashioning His tool. 

We like the sound of success – that click when the car door lock releases.  High fives!  We’re in!  Let’s celebrate the One who not only wields the hanger but also fashions the hanger (there’s a lot of work turning a clothes hanger into a custom car key!).  Where’s He bending you?   

Spotlight on the one who fashions and wields us hangers, 

Pastor Karl