In Control

In Control

Judges 15:10 – The leading men of Judah asked, “Why have you invaded us?” They replied, “We’re here to arrest Samson. Then we’re going to do to him what he did to us.” 11 – In response, 3000 soldiers from the tribe of Judah went down to the caves of the rock of Etam and asked Samson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines have us in their control? What have you done to us?” “ I did to them what they did to me,” he answered.

How did the tribe of Judah and the rest of Israel end up handing over their freedom to the Philistines? We can ask the same questions of ourselves. How have we so easily handed control of our lives over to other gods?

Samson tried to fit in with the Philistines but found that they operated on a completely different moral standard. They were willing to burn to death their own people as they did to Samson’s ex-wife and her family. The Holy Spirit filled Samson to take action against such lawlessness, but the Israelites were not ready to join him – they were more willing to hand him over than to see in Samson an opportunity for freedom. They had grown comfortable with the status quo and preferred to live peaceably under Philistine control.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus dictated a letter to the church in Laodicea that had also grown too comfortable with the way things were. He said in chapter 3 verse 15 – ‘I know your actions, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16 – Since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth..

verse 17 – You say, “I am rich. I have become wealthy. I don’t need anything.” Yet you don’t realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 – Therefore, I advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire so you may be rich, white clothes to ear so your shameful nakedness won’t show, and ointment to put on your eyes so you may see. 19 – I correct and discipline those whom I love, so be serious and repent!

Let us be serious about our relationship with God. There are false gods in our homes and lives that want to take control of us and how we use our time and abilities so that we are rendered impotent for the cause of Christ. Let us not be Christians in name only. Let us buy from Jesus His gold, His white clothes and His ointment so that we can be Christians in Spirit, in truth and in action!