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Day 70, or March the 11th. God can change you

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if you let him. Our thoughts today are rooted

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in Judges, chapter 15, verse 7. Samson said to

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them, Since you acted like this, I swear that

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I won't stop until I get my revenge on you. First,

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the big picture surrounding this verse. Today

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we're considering one of the best known of Israel's

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judges. He is one of the best known characters

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in the Bible. I remember regularly reading the

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account of Samson as a child. I used the Sunday

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school gift that I still have today, a King James

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Bible. Samson was dedicated to God by his parents,

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but he rebelled when it came to living according

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to the promises involved with being a Nazarite.

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He did, however, keep the long hair part of the

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agreement. He wasn't good with women, and it

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finally cost him his hair and his eyesight when

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he was betrayed by Delilah and captured by the

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Philistines. In his last days, he came to his

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senses and turned back to God. He died bringing

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a whole temple down upon him and his enemies.

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And now, our action step for today. Samson was

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an impetuous man who acted first and thought

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second. Some of us have this same weakness, and

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I believe that is why Simon Peter is amongst

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the most popular disciples of Jesus. However,

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we need to be careful with this line of thinking.

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Just because someone has a particular weakness

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and is nevertheless used greatly by God, it doesn't

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mean that their weakness is acceptable in other

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people. I have to say that I do see red on occasions

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when people say, well, that's just so -and -so.

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That's what they're like. Not good enough. We

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are responsible before God to work with him on

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our sanctification. It's not simply a matter

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of sitting back and expecting God to do everything.

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If you have a particular weakness which you know

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is harming your daily witness, then ask God today

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to help you to begin to put it right in your

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life. Take the first step and God will be alongside

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you immediately, strengthening you in your resolve.