Two Packages for You Today

January 18, 2008

By William E. Richardson

"He had judged Israel twenty years" (Judges 16:31, NKJV).

You can't always sum up a person's life by a few mementos in a box. But today, let's open the cardboard flaps on one man's life. Here's a donkey's jawbone, a container of honey, a few strands of hair and a chunk of old building.

Heaven blessed Samson before his birth. Godly parents raised him. He served his nation as a leader. The Holy Spirit often overshadowed him, endowing him with supernatural strength.

When the Holy Spirit moved upon him, neither beast nor man could stand before Samson. He captured 300 foxes by himself and killed a lion with his bare hands. With only the jawbone of a donkey he defeated 1,000 Philistines.

Throughout his life, Samson chose to open one of two invisible packages. God sent Samson packages of talents that, when used, would glorify God. The devil sent packages of temptations. The record of how Samson handled the temptation packages is not favorable. He lusted (Judges 16:1). He made demands of his parents to satisfy his desires (Judges 14:2). Violating God's rules for his Nazarite vow, he touched a dead body -- the carcass of the lion he'd killed, where he found the honey (Judges 14:8,9; Leviticus 11:27).

In the end, Samson cared more for the devil's packages than for those God sent. God withdrew His blessings. Samson's enemies captured him, cut his hair, blinded him and forced him into slave labor.

In the final scene of Samson's life, the curtain rose on a large Philistine festival. At the height of the drunken celebration, someone commanded Samson, the prize prisoner, to be brought out.

Seconds later, the mocking cheers drowned out Samson's whispered prayer. He moved between the pillars that supported the building. With renewed power, he shoved the pillars apart. The place began shaking, then falling to pieces. It soon crashed into a giant heap of dust and death.

We've connected the dots for Samson's life, so let's place the donkey's jawbone, honey, strands of hair and piece of building back into the box. Samson's story of opening every package that came his way echoes loudly, "Some packages should be left alone."

Today, you'll not hear an audible call, "Special delivery from God!" or "Special delivery from the devil!" Still, the option to open either one will come to you more than once today. They're both marked "Choice."

To tuck away a better testimony for future generations than Samson's, we'll want to listen to and obey the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give us strong fingers to open God's packages, if we choose to. He'll help us walk away from the devil's well-wrapped temptations, if we so choose.

-- William E. Richardson is senior pastor of Afton (Iowa) Assembly of God.