We see more of Sampson’s story today, and we encounter a theme that will remain constant throughout his life. Sampson lives recklessly. He lives out of control. The Lord is able to use him, yes, and even the most out-of-control life can be used by God. But Sampson lives totally out of control. He breaks the law, he makes his parents unclean, he is prideful, he is cocky, he lives in a way that is destructive to him and to others. Today, what are you living for? How are you living? Are you living controlled, or are you totally out of control? Let us be careful today, how we live.

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Good morning. Hope you’re doing well today.

You may notice my setup looks a little different if you’re watching online—I’m having some Wi-Fi issues in the office. Hopefully, this all works smoothly. Right now, everything looks okay on my end, so knock on wood. If it crashes, I’ll let you know. I’m probably more anxious about it than you are. You may not even notice what’s going on, which is how I like it!

Today’s Reading: Judges 14 – Samson’s Marriage

We’re going to read Judges 14 in its entirety—20 verses—because I want you to get a full snapshot of our guy Samson.

If you remember from yesterday, Samson is a Nazirite, someone who’s set apart for the Lord. He’s supposed to live a holy, distinct life. But as we’ll see, Samson is an interesting and often problematic character in Scripture.

A Man Ruled by Desire

Once Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah, he saw a Philistine woman. Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw a Philistine woman at Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among your kin or among all our people, that you must go and take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she pleases me.”

That last line—“because she pleases me”—tells you everything you need to know about Samson’s motivations. Throughout his story, Samson is ruled by his desires.

Now, verse 4 gives us an important insight:

His father and mother did not know this was from the Lord…

This reminds me of Romans 8:28—God is working through Samson’s flaws, even though Samson himself is making poor decisions. Over and over, we’ll see Samson make impulsive, selfish choices—but God still uses him.

Strength Without Discipline

A lion rushed at him… and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he tore the lion apart barehanded… Later, he saw the lion’s carcass, and there was a swarm of bees and honey. He scraped it out with his hands and ate it as he went. He gave some to his parents—but didn’t tell them where it came from.

There are a few things to unpack here:

1. Impressive strength, yes—but what does he do with it?
2. He touches a dead carcass, which made him ritually unclean. As a Nazirite, he wasn’t even supposed to be nearsomething dead.
3. He gives the honey to his parents, making them unclean too—and doesn’t tell them.

This is a pattern. Samson is impulsive, secretive, and ruled by appetite. The man is scraping honey from a lion’s carcass and eating it on the road. He’s out of control.

Unrestrained Living

Samson made a feast… and gave his companions a riddle. When they couldn’t solve it, they threatened his wife… so she nagged him until he told her. She told them, they answered the riddle, and Samson said: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you wouldn’t have solved it.”

There’s a lot going on here:

• He gambles with a riddle and gets angry when tricked.
• His wife is coerced by threats.
• He responds with violence and rage, killing 30 men to settle his debt.
• Then he storms off to his father’s house, and his wife is given to someone else.

Samson’s life is spiraling. He’s controlled by his impulses—his temper, pride, hunger, lust, ego. He lives with no self-control, and it’s already damaging everything around him.

So, What Do We Learn?

Samson is strong. He’s set apart. He’s chosen by God.

But he’s also reckless, impulsive, and self-centered.

God still uses him—but Samson’s lack of self-control will eventually lead to his downfall. And that’s the warning here: if we live only for ourselves, only for our desires, only for what pleases us, then it will ultimately consume us.

Jesus said it best:

“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul?” (Mark 8:36)

So ask yourself today:

• Who are you living for?
• Are you driven by your compulsions, your comfort, your cravings?
• Or are you living for something greater than yourself—God, His kingdom, and the well-being of others?

Thanks for being with us today. Tomorrow, we’ll continue with Samson’s story—and believe me, it doesn’t get any less dramatic!

Have a great day, and we’ll see you in the morning.