Wanted: Dead More Than Alive

   In Judges 16:30, we read, “And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life.”    

    In the end, Samson accomplished more in his death than in his life. The reason lies not in his amazing death but in his poorly led life. As he read about Samson in Judges, we see a leader more concerned about his own desires than his peoples needs. We can see his impulsive nature in how he selected a wife, (Judges 14:1-11) dealt with his in-laws (Judges 15:1-8) and acted with Delilah (Judges 16:1-27). The great power that was given to him by God was often only used to get revenge on those he had felt had wronged him. But in the end, a blinded and imprisoned Samson turned to God to give him strength to defeat the enemies of Israel. Imagine if had allowed God to guide him from the start? What wonders he could have accomplished?

  Many today live life in a very Samson like way. They are tempted to put off what God wants them to do later so they can seek their own desires. Such an attitude only leads to imprisonment and destruction, not to the “abundant life” Jesus promised. If they do turn back the Lord, they have wasted so much of what could have been. Don't let "the best thing you every did" be your death.