Judges 16:20  Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. (NIV)

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But he did not know that the Lord had left him. 

This has to be one of the saddest sentences in the Bible. It leads us to ask a truly uncomfortable question. If God left you, would you know it? 

How would you know? How soon would you know? What would you do as soon as you knew? 

We see Samson’s answers to these questions. 

Here’s what he might say. To the question, “How would you know God left you?” he might answer, “I don’t know.” 

To the question, “How soon would you know?” he might answer, “I don’t care.” 

To the question, “What would you do as soon as you knew?” he might answer, “I would continue shaking myself free from all constraints.” 

Once again, God let Samson, like others in the Book of Judges, shake himself free of all constraints, including God. 

Samson was free, free to fail any way he chose. 

This is not the nature of true freedom. The freedom arising from obedience provides the strength of character that would have delivered Samson from all of his troubles, including his untimely death. 

The nature of true freedom doesn’t satisfy me alone, and especially not at the expense of others. The nature of true freedom makes the world a better place for everyone. The nature of true freedom makes my life a blessing to everyone I meet. 

You get the picture that the only people who enjoyed being around Samson were those who were far enough away that he couldn’t punch them in the face. Unlike State Farm, he was not a good neighbor. 

What would have been different if he had known the true source of his strength? It wasn’t his hair. It was his mother’s devotion. It was God’s great gift, a gift he completely wasted. 

Don’t waste your God-given gifts.

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I will cultivate a conscious awareness of God’s presence.

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Our Father, I want to know you in a deep and abiding relationship. I never want to take you for granted. I dare not dismiss your wisdom and guidance. I belong to you. Amen.