What We Allow Becomes Normal

Judges 16.1-18.31

I think I could write all day about today's OYCB reading!

There are several different directions I could go with my thoughts, but there are a couple thoughts that stand out most distinctly.

First, Delilah must have been one piece of work. I imagine, with Samson's apparent womanizing tendencies, that Delilah was no ordinary woman to look at. I suspect she was incredibly beautiful. And, as the world goes, beautiful people tend to flock together, meaning that Samson was likely not only very well-built, but also handsome to a fault. Along with their handsome features, unfortunately, beautiful people can often lack when it comes to character (this is not a judgment, just a fact that beautiful people face). 

As the case of Samson and Delilah goes, these two beautiful people were highly lacking in character as is evidenced in their co-habitation outside of marriage. (For anyone to think Samson was simply 'visiting' Delilah and not having sexual relations with her in light of his past record with prostitutes is ludicrous.) Furthermore, whatever is was that Samson and Delilah 'shared' must have been good to the point of stupefying because Samson missed every obvious sign that Delilah was out to get him.

Next, as the OYCB reading discusses Micah and his idols, it is obvious that Israel's previously pure religion had become infused with a lot of junk.

As both the stories of Samson and Micah go, there is something to be said for striving for purity. Without specific purpose, religion will become polluted - it's just a fact that Israel proved over and again.

Although God still used Samson and others in the Bible, could not their outcomes have been much better had their lives been true to Him? Could not Samson have destroyed the Philistines without having to lose his eyes and die an untimely death in the process?

As I survey all the religious variations present today (just in the USA), I realize not everyone can be right. Even among so-called Christian schisms, disunity is overwhelmingly prevalent. The burden of accuracy falls upon each and every person who genuinely intends to be right with God. Because of the exclusive nature of God (His proclamation of Sovereignty) there is simply no way that everyone who claims to be right by Him,while (in some cases) at war with other factions, can be right!

The point is, as believers of the Holy Bible, we need to strive for purity and unity in the Body of Christ. We need to review our circumstances to see if we have allowed impurities to infiltrate. This will be no casual review either, but one dedicated to Truth as Jesus is the Truth, and willing to make whatever changes are necessary! While many of the differences we see in the Body of Christ may be attributed to the variation in 'Body parts' there are still many more differences that are simply ungodliness and sinfulness that have infected the Body.

If the entire story of redemption were ignored in the Old Testament, there still remains the undeniable evidence of human nature to veer away from truth and begin to believe lies. We are fools to think we are beyond reproach in this same tendency.

Father, help me - help us - to seek Truth like never before. There is so much at stake! Help us to see that what we allow will ultimately become normal - or worse yet, law.