Have you ever felt like you just weren’t good enough, pure enough, holy enough or righteous enough to be used by God? I totally get it. That was the single biggest barrier in my life for SO LONG!

Luckily, I can share my secret with you, so you can move past those feelings. Have you ever heard the biblical story of Samson? I used to absolutely hate it! (I know, I just said that!) I thought he was some stupid womanizer, so easily manipulated by his lust. And his weakness eventually caused his downfall.

But you see, Samson wasn’t perfect… just as you and I are not perfect. We all have weaknesses, but that didn’t stop God from working through Samson. And it doesn’t stop God from working through YOU, either!

“So he came back and told his father and mother, ‘I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.’ Then his father and his mother said to him, ‘Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ But Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she looks good to me.’ However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.” (Judges 14:2-4)

Samson choosing a woman outside of their clan, was nothing short of blasphemy – but it was the work of the Lord! Simply put, God knows what He wants and works through whom He wants – regardless of their human flaws.

Samson does eventually marry the woman, who manipulates him into losing virtually everything – to 30 of her Philistine companions. “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house. But Samson’s wife was given to his companion who had been his friend.” (Judges 14:19-20)

The Spirit of the Lord gave Samson his strength… enough to defeat 30 men! Just as God gave Samson strength to defeat his enemies, He can empower you to defeat your debt, your adversaries, your past, your addictions and even your physical pain. Don’t limit the Spirit of the Lord!

Of course, after this Samson meets Delilah… who seduces him into confessing the source of his strength. Because, in the end, he could not overcome his weakness for women! He was not a perfect man. Even he had great weaknesses. What weaknesses consistently get you in trouble?

Don’t keep falling for the same manipulation, the same traps or the same troubles because of your weaknesses! Never forget you have access to the same Spirit that strengthened Samson.

And don’t get caught-up in your imperfections, either! Guess what – I hated the story of Samson because he was SO HUMAN. Which means he was just like me – imperfect. But you have the ability to learn from his example, identify your weaknesses and don’t let them become your downfall.

I’d love to know your thoughts on today’s message. What weaknesses tend to trip you up? Can you identify with the story of Samson? Let me know in the comments below!

And don’t forget to join us today for our Spiritual Equipping episode of The Dani Johnson Show, to gain biblical insights for your everyday life. You can find the show on your TV and radio or stream today’s show, right here on our website.

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In great faith,

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