Mark 12:30 ”AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD…WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.” In all of Scripture there is no better model or example of ‘Loving the LORD your GOD with all your strength,’ than is found in the most physically powerful man in all human history – SAMSON! But Samson’s life is a mixture of raw self-righteous ‘strength,’ and a regulated ‘strength’ under the righteous power of a HOLY GOD! Samson is also revealed to us in the book of Judges, (chapters 13 -16) as a ‘Poetic Powerhouse!’ He often spoke in words that were ‘poetic puzzles’ in order to tease, taunt or trouble his enemies, making them wrestle with him mentally and physically, so that he might demonstrate that his name ‘SAMSON’ [meaning: “Sun Man,” or “Little Sun”] would go down in history as the man who had the most ‘BRAIN’ and ‘BRAWN’ of any man, save THE MAN, CHRIST JESUS! By looking at The LIFE OF GOD in The Life Of Samson, perhaps some poetic phrases and interpretive poetry will aid you as a commentary on the Scriptures that reveal the truths and realities about ‘Loving the LORD your GOD with all your strength!’ If Samson had lived long enough to reflect on his life and to write a poetic diary of all his days as GOD’S chosen instrument (as one of the ‘Judges’ in the life of the nation Israel), perhaps he would have titled his poetic autobiography: “SAMSON – ‘My Life In Hindsight;’ The LORD’S STRENGTH – And My Weakness!” [David R. Dee - Jan.1, 2006] - PROLOGUE - (Dark Dream After Sunset) Judges 16:13-21 O GOD-eclipsing love, how I loved my strength… more than I used my strength to love my LORD! LOVED by GRACE, how could I fall – once SAMSON, rising as ‘The Blazing Sun Of GOD,’ now set down with feeble hands and knees; Samson, ‘the blinded slave of man!’ BLINDED LOVE OF FLESH – faith’s eyes gouged out by human lust, I long to see THE HOLY SPIRIT of my GOD! What is the power of man without THE POWER OF GOD? Sunny SAMSON shines no more – GOD’S GLORIOUS LIGHT is gone. Here I lie, in the lap of weakness – Delilah, here ‘I lost my love for strength alone.’ O GOD OF MERCY – help me find YOUR strength again, to love YOU most of all! Here I place my hands in YOURS’ – my feet are in YOUR path; Lead me LORD… in YOUR Everlasting Way – show the World YOUR POWER, ‘Arise O PERFECT SUN Of GOD!’ (Dreaming Of My Youth) Judges 13:1-25 Heady Head Of Hair – lying restless in Delilah’s lap, where weakness multiplies. Mindless Samson, no head for GOD – forsaking my father’s FATHER’S REST! Sleeper, sleeping strength of love for GOD away – dreamer, disaster falls within a hair’s-breadth. Wasted life, wasting Providential Power – prideful head of hair, this weak man’s vanity. Woven in my mother’s womb – a Nazirite, ‘Promise’ of GOD’S Holy Power. Squandered Love Of GOD – mother’s heart broken, father’s FATHER’S WILL forsaken! ‘Boyhood Dream’ of Samson shattered, seven scattered locks of hair – Heaven’s Perfect Strength, now buried in the dust of death – GOD’S LIFE cut off. Heady Samson, hair-brained man – thinking tangled thoughts, here I lay a senseless selfish man; No strength to take a stand, no judgment left to Judge GOD’S Chosen Race of Men. Aided by impassioned parent’s prayers, once set apart to be the Sun of GOD, His Way to show – Now set aside by sin, so blind I cannot Judge to lead a man, nor find a way to serve my GOD! His Name is ‘WONDERFUL’ – The LORD Of LIFE in Whom my Strength is found! O to have my parent’s eyes to see the need to bow, before THE PERFECT SUN Of GOD – Transcendent GOD, Whom angels fear – I repent and lay my head on You to rest; Bless me now as at my birth, I die to self, that You may Live in me – Judge this Earth once more! (Lips Of Honey And A Bitter Life) Judges 14:1-20 & Judges 15:1-20 Sweet as honey drip the warring words from Samson’s lips – stirring trouble like a lion all around. Fire fought with fire, jawbone justice, hatred flares – BUT GOD, bares His Holy Hand of Wrath. Spent STRENGTH OF GOD – what prideful, lustful eyes would own, foul taste – a woman’s scorn. Shifted Strength of Samson, ‘Dagon sifts you like wheat’ – weak before my GOD I cry, ‘I thirst!’ Killer, kills a lion, kills the foxes, kills the men – Samson dies in strength each time. My bloody hands weighed down with guilt, I find them hard to raise for GOD! His Will Above – my will below, who will bring this chasm to a close? Should I ‘blameless’ stand and Judge the land – The Sovereign LORD must Rule my hand! Grinding at ‘man’s mealy mill,’ here held by HOLY HANDS, I touch the Heart of GOD! His Holy Beauty ‘Shines’ in blinded eyes – and through His Love I see the ‘Darkness’ of my Ugly Sin! Bitter life, there is no Sweet revenge, The Law of GOD is not safe in Samson’s hands. The shape of all the land about me – brings no pleasure to these Heavenly Eyes! Israel, Nation mirrored in Samson – see yourself a thousand times, ‘Idol eyes’ eyeing ‘Dark Delilah lovers’ – leaving ‘The Lovely Light of GOD’ behind. Looking for ‘a lower love’ (we lose ourselves), hiding from ‘The Highest LOVE’ of GOD! Let Samson’s sweet words teach you, thirst for GOD with all your strength, and find ‘It’ His. (GOD’S LIGHT Versus Dagon’s Darkness) Judges 16:1-31 Samson – O ‘Light-diffusing life,’ overshadowed by ‘Dagon – prince of darkness’ grim. How many eyes has my dark past blinded – from beholding ‘The Perfect SUN OF GOD?’ I see ‘harlots’ everywhere, Israel – how we have prostituted our LOVER’S NAME! Our walk has turned heads full of ‘evil eyes’ to look upon our adulterated ‘STRENGTH.’ What has ‘GOD’S Temple’ to do with idols, ‘holding sin like pillars’ to keep a fallen world in place! War is waging, Dagon’s defeat is sure – ‘LIGHT’ will overshadow ‘darkness,’ our GOD Reigns. LORD of GLORY, LORD of LOVE, help these ‘Christless eyes’ to see Your ‘FUTURE GRACE’ – Put The Right Man on our side, ‘stretch His Arms’ – Overcomer, come bring down sin and death. For Your Name’s Sake ‘Remember Samson’ LORD, take me to Your Temple, ‘Shine’ in me again! Bring down ‘the house that Dagon built’ – prepare a place wherein All RIGHTEOUSNESS Dwells. The Philistines are upon you Samson, will you now become weak ‘like any other man?’ Please tell me – tell the world, where your ‘GREAT STRENGTH’ Is! ‘How can you say you love me, when your heart is not with me?’ – Dagon’s Delilah declares! A question better asked by ‘Samson’s GOD,’ for a ‘leaching letch’ to answer – Drawing on my Divine ‘LOVER’S STRENGTH,’ misused, abused – ‘Samson’s body’ is not his own. I feel the pillars on which this wicked world is resting, and lean against them in the Strength of GOD!