Judges 16:16-17, “And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart.”
We should not make excuses for sin by justifying our actions to suit our philosophy of life. The immature often cannot perceive what constitutes danger – that is why a good parent teaches their child that fire causes burns, too much sugar makes one sick and it is safer to stick to the path rather than heading off the beaten track. When some reach adolescence, they try to test those boundaries by playing with fire to see if they get burnt, eating as much as they can before getting a stomach-ache or inching their way towards the cliff’s dangerous edge. They want to see how far their risky behaviour can go before reaping the consequences. But the reality is that no matter how strong you think you are, no one is above consequence.
In Judges 16, Samson was playing games with Delilah. He thought he could enjoy himself without facing the consequence of this ungodly relationship because he believed he was strong in himself. Samson thought he could control himself but Delilah kept pestering him to the point where he became vexed unto death. What started as a game ended in shame. This means that if you play games with the devil, you will always end up on the losing side and if you play with sin, it will continue to pester you. If you give sin an inch, the devil will take a yard.
God, in His mercy, gave Samson enough warnings. Samson needed to disconnect from Delilah, not merely recognise her sinful intention. Likewise, God will never leave you without a warning. But is your heart sensitive to recognise it? It’s not enough just for you to acknowledge it; you must take action. You can deceive yourself but you cannot deceive sin’s consequences. You cannot con your way out of consequence. The only way out is to run to God and submit to the authority of His Word. There is no slate He cannot wipe clean. There is no past He cannot redeem.
Prayer: Let every heart be set apart for Christ alone. Sanctify our hearts with the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, amen.