King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: The Power of God In You
Date: Saturday March 17, 2012
Today's Chapters: Judges 14-16

Hello My Friend,

The word reprobate means a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. Now, anyone can receive Christ as their Savior and be saved, but true Christians cannot understand for the life of them how God accepted them and not only that give them eternal life. While we do not deserve salvation we receive it by the power of God through the Lord Jesus Christ alone and while we may do the right things we need to remember that is not what saves us, Christ saves us. “For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.” - 2 Corinthians 13:4-7.

The Philistines were probably Israels biggest thorn in their side, they were in constant battle with one another, sometimes Israel would be in control, but often God allowed them to control Israel, that is until they had enough and sought God's help in defeating them after repenting. God brought up a man named Samson, a Nazarite, chosen before he was even conceived to serve God as judge in Israel, and to free Israel from the Philistines. Unfortunately Samson's heart was not always with God and instead of fighting them he made friends with the Philistines and even married one. The amazing thing about it, it was in God's will.

“And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 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. 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.” - Judges 14:2-6.

God makes use of Samson's potential marriage with a Philistine woman to punish the people. When God has a purpose for us He uses every situation, even those against His will, to do the job He calls us to do. Receiving Christ as your Savior immediately brings the Spirit of God upon you and His power can produce some great miracles in you. Often God will prove His power in us through something that just seems impossible, but unless we have a relationship with God we may not know that it is Him. “And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.” - I Corinthians 6:14.

God used Samson to judge Israel for twenty years, but just like every heart that does not give God 100% his halfheartedness caught up to him when he met another Philistine woman named Delilah. She made a deal with the Philistines to reveal Samson's weakness in exchange for money. Deliah pressed Samson continually to reveal to her what would defeat him, finally, she convinced him to reveal that, which lead to his capture.

“And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; 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.” - Judges 16:15-19.

The strongest man on earth is a weakling without the power of God, Samson was captured, his eyes were gouged out, and he was forced to live and serve the Philistines like an animal. Now, whenever one of God's people get defeated there is always going to be someone gloating over it, in this case, the Philistines were boasting about their god and how it delivered Samson into their hands. Little did they realize that God was using Samson's capture to deliver them to their death. Samson knew his life was coming to an end, during his time of blindness and slavery his eyes were finally opened to see that his purpose in life was to serve God. He repented and asked God for His strength one last time to defeat the Philistines taking out their false god temple in the process. “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.” -Judges 16:28-30.

Samson’s strength was not really in his hair, but in the power of God that lived in Him, his long hair was merely a badge that showed that he was one of God's people. By losing the badge, he forfeited the strength of God that came through it. All who receive Christ have God's power in them, our badge is how we live our lives through Christ to prove to the world that He is alive. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” - Romans 12:1-3.

Someone made a comment about a quote I used, “If you don't believe in miracles perhaps you've forgotten you are one.” They said, “There are 358,192 people born in the world every day, on average. Not necessarily what I'd call a miracle.” Christ is alive and lives in everyone who believes in and accepts Him. To allow Christ to live in you and see His power come through as you transform into something you thought impossible is truly a miracle and only comes from the power of God. It's not about how we got here or what we did in the past, it's about now and allowing Christ to work in us. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” - John 14:12,21.

Today's Psalm: 49:15 - “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.”

Today's Proverb: 18:10 - “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

Today's Prayer: God, I know I am not perfect, I know I mess up every day, but You still use me for Your glory. I will never understand why You chose me, but I do understand that my faith in Your Son has redeemed me. I do want to live my life for You and do want to show the world that You are the Almighty miracle producing God that is alive and living in me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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