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Today’s Bible Reading: JUDGES 16:1-18:31

Judges 16:22 However the hair on his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.

Many of us have experienced spiritual failure. We have fallen. Our faith has failed. Temptation got the best of us and we sinned. We are not proud of it and wish that we never fell, but we did. We would give anything to go back and change it, but we can’t. We are stuck with the guilt and the consequences of our actions. For some the words of our text are insignificant, but to those of us who have failed spiritually they bring the hope that we can find forgiveness and move forward, even if we don’t see how.

Samson fell. He violated every aspect of his Naziite vow (Num 6). He partied with the Philistines (Judges 14:10), he touched the carcass of a lion (Judges 14:8) and he allowed his head to be shaved (Judges 16:16-20). His woeful disregard for the discipline needed to maintain his commitment to the Lord led to his disobedience and his eventual defeat. When he should have been separated unto the Lord, he by his self-indulging sinful behavior became separated from the Lord. He chose the delights of the world over delighting in the one who made the world. The one who had given him his strength was no longer his strength. “He did not know that the Lord had left him.” (Judges 16:20).

He was courted to make his contribution in his country’s ongoing crisis. He was a man of much possibility and potential. He was blessed by godly parents who nurtured him in his Nazirite vow. They prepared him for the position that the Lord had prepared for Him. They discipled him to be the deliverer of a desperate people. He could have been great, but he chose compromise over commitment.

There were consequences to his behavior. He lost everything. His folly led to his fall. His decisions led to his demise. All that he relished in was removed. All that he savored was stripped from him. He became broken, bound and blind. The man who should have ground down the Philistines became a grinder in their prison. Such is the effects of sin upon sinful saints.

His former glory was gone, but perhaps he could still bring glory to God.

His saga is our story. It is the gospel. It is the hope that all who fail have for their future. The gospel not only saves us from sin, but it saves us in our sins. All of us have “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23). We all like Samson have found ourselves broken and bewilder by our bad behavior. But though we have forsaken God, he has not forsaken us. His grace and mercy mounts on our behalf. Like Samson who prayed, “Oh Lord God remember me I pray!”, when we humbly repent and return, the Lord will lovingly renew us. Samson’s restored hair growth enabled him to rededicate himself to the vow he had broken. Our “hair” too will begin to grow again. We will be enabled and empowered to find the hope of restoration and healing of renewal in our brokenness. We will say like David, “let the bones that you have broken rejoice” (Ps 51:8).

We have faith that as He did for Samson, he will do for us. We have the hope that the Lord can give us opportunities to serve Him again beyond our failure. He set us aside because of our sin and He can set us again in His service. It may not be as it was, but it will be what it is. Our repentance and rededication brings about the possibility of the Lord reopening renewed occasions for ministry and missions.

Samson could not reverse the violation of his vow by tasting the fruit of the vine or touching the dead lion, but his hair could and did grow back. He could renew his vow and rededicate himself to once again being separated unto the Lord. The Lord accepted his genuine repentance and graciously restored his strength. May the Lord “let your hair begin to grow again” as you return to Him and find His grace and mercy to restore you. Others may not forgive you but God does.

Today thank the Lord that He doesn’t forsake us when we forsake Him. Praise Him that he will receive us back when we have rebelled against Him. Rejoice that He graciously “lets our hair begin to grow” as we in repentance return to Him. Thank Him that in our failure we can still find mercy and forgiveness in Him. Thank Him that He is not done with you when you fall, there’s more. He will let your hair grow back.