Samson - What's Your Kryptonite?

Judges 16:6-17 So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued." Samson answered her, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man." Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh thongs that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the thongs as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied." He said, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man." So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. Delilah then said to Samson, "Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied." He replied, "If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I'll become as weak as any other man." So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric. Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."

This is the part of the story of Samson that we all know and that we've heard over and over again. Where Delilah pokes and prods and nags and begs until Samson finally gives up the secret of his strength. Out of all the things that Delilah does and the insane way that Samson falls for it - what intrigued me the most this time when I re-read these scriptures was- Samson was extremely talented=at lying.

Of all the traits that we pick out about Samson when asked: Strength, Chosen of God, Sacrificial - Liar never really makes it to the top of the list. But THREE times he lies and never once does Delilah say to him after he tells her, "Really, are you sure? Are you pulling my leg?" He is fully believed every time.

Sometimes, when we are with someone who has done wrong to us, or is doing wrong to us - it's easy for us to overlook where our own faults lie. Of course Delilah was just playing up to Samson in hopes to kill him - but I wonder what would've happened if Samson would have said the very first time - "God has entrusted me with a secret that I cannot share for fear you or your people may use it against me. Therefore I cannot tell you that secret - I hope you understand". Strength of character is just that - the endurance to hold true to what is right no matter the circumstance or how someone else is treating you. When we make our list of character traits - is strength one of them?

Speaking of things about our character, I was actually tagged by Mariel to list 6 random things about me, so I've segued from looking at your own character, to sharing a few about mine...

1) I wish I could travel to Paris or Australia one day - God's creation with an accent.

2) I never intended on having any children, let alone 4 and homeschooling all of them (yet wouldn't give any of it up for the world)

3) I would love to work in a lab and discover cures for diseases of which there is none (I have no medical background or chemist knowledge - just want a miracle here)

4) I recently saw "Twilight" because my teenage daughter HAD to see it. And Frankly, I really enjoyed it.

5) I miss my grandma. She died my first year of college. She taught me how to play the game of hopscotch.

6) My husband just took on a new youth pastorship, and I'm more proud of him than I probably tell him.

Ok, so there are 6 random things about me...what about YOU?

1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself.
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Newer Bloggy Friends I would love to know better are...
Beth at Power of your Love
Kay at Thrive Christians
Sharon at Prince of Peace,
Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee
You are TAGGED! I look forward to reading your 'random things'