Proverbs 5:23
SAMSON WAS A HE-MAN WITH A SHE-WEAKNESS. Although he was born of godly parents, set apart from his birth to be a Nazirite, and elevated to the enviable position of judge in Israel, he never won the battle with lust. Instead, lust eventually conquered him. Several things that illustrate his lustful bent may be observed from the record of his life, each one in the book of Judges.
- The first recorded words from his mouth were (my paraphrase): I saw a woman (14:2).
- He was attracted to the opposite sex strictly based on outward appearance: Get her for me, for she looks good to me (14:3).
- He judged Israel for twenty years, then went right back to his old addiction of chasing women (15:20–16:4).
- He became so preoccupied with his lustful desires, he didn’t even know the Lord had departed from him (16:20).
Samson kept saying, “Yes,” again and again and again and again!
The results of Samson’s illicit affairs are familiar to most of us. The swarthy pride of Israel, who once held the highest office in the land, was now the disgraced warrior of Philistia, a pathetic, hollow shell of humanity.
Solomon’s words could describe Samson:
He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.
PROVERBS 5:23
No one is immune to the perils of foolish lust. Whether by savage assault or subtle suggestion, the minds of a wide range of people are vulnerable to its attack. Lust’s alluring voice can infiltrate the most intelligent mind and cause its victim to believe its lies and yield to its sultry appeal.
How do you handle such an aggressive intruder? Try this: when lust suggests a rendezvous, send Jesus Christ as your representative. Remember: His death and resurrection freed you from sin’s domination and gave you a new Master! And that new Master isn’t afraid to slam the door in lust’s face, no matter how persistently it knocks or how forcefully it tries to intrude.
Lust will back off when it hears no but only when it is repeated, again and again and again and again!
Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord . . . Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved. The full devotional can be purchased at tyndale.com.
