Forgiveness Assured

(Judges 16:22 NKJV)  (If you are not familiar with the story read the entire Chapter).      

However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.      

A friend and I were fishing on the New River one morning when a sudden rain storm came down the river. I maneuvered our boat under a railroad trestle in hopes of finding some shelter from the deluge. It did not work and we were drenched. The rain only lasted about ten minutes and the clouds began to lighten up and patches of blue sky started to appear. When the sun came through we begin to dry out and continued fishing.

What has this got to do with Samson’s hair growing back out? Samson’s re-growth was a sign of Gods forgiveness and restoration to a man that had broken his covenant with God and surrendered himself by choice into the hands of his enemies. Out of self confidence in his strength that came from God, Samson teased his enemies. During his little game of cat and mouse however he crossed the line and found out the hard way that the grace and mercy of God is not something to be toyed with. Had he failed to remember that his strength came from God to begin with he would have died in vain as an example of one who had enjoyed Gods favor and then forfeited it.

The blue sky, the sun peeking through the clouds, and Samson’s hair growing back are all indications of a God that does not withhold mercy although He may allow us to suffer consequences. The fact that Samson’s hair began to grow back instills in my soul a feeling of assurance in the forgiveness and mercy of God for His children. You and I have at some time or another broken our covenant with God intentionally. We, like Samson, became confident in our relationship with Christ to the point that we teased our human nature by tolerating sin in our lives. Like Samson, we may have gotten to comfortable and went to sleep in the lap of our enemy only to wake up one day and realize we were far from God.

You may be reading this today and say in your heart, “that’s me.” You may know someone who feels that way. Be assured that God has not given up on you, or them, so do not give up on Him! Look back to God, call upon Him as Samson did, ask for His help once more and you will find that the rain has stopped, the clouds are parting, the sun is shining through, and the hair is growing back!