There is nothing like falling in love for the first time.  Meeting the one that you want to spend your whole life with is an amazing feeling.  When I met my husband almost 34 years ago, it wasn’t long before I began to wonder how I lived without him.  I wanted to be with him night and day – and still do!  I trust him.  I enjoy my time with him.  And, I would probably do just about anything for him.

Many people who know nothing about the Bible have often heard of “Samson and Delilah.”  Samson is a man of great strength and was an appointed Judge by God for Israel.  Again, the Israelites were doing evil things against God and for 40 years, the Israelites were under the hand of the Philistines.  Samson’s great strength – a gift from God, defeated the Philistines.  And so, now the Philistines want Samson killed.  However, because of Samson’s great strength, they were unable to find anything that would kill him.

Samson then meets Delilah.  He’s in love with her and would do anything for her – except tell her his secret that gives him strength.  The Philistines are going to her to coax her into finding out from Samson what would make him weak.  Every day she pesters Samson telling him that if he really loved her, he would give her his secret.  Finally, he gets so tired of it, he tells her: “A razor has never come upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb.  If my head were shave, then my strength would leave me; I would become weak, and be like anyone else” (Judges 16:17).  The Philistines come and shave his head while he is sleeping, take him and gouge his eyes out.  Samson is completely helpless.

Samson loved Delilah and his heart had to be broken.  Did Samson put his trust in the wrong thing?  I think that he did!  Just before Samson dies, he prays to God to lift a whole house with thousands of Philistines that had treated him so cruelly, and then let it go – killing the Philistines (Judges 16:28-30).  Samson still got revenge in the end.  But, it wasn’t for the reason of Delilah – it was for the reason Samson turned to God!

I believe that God wants us to be in love with a significant other – and enjoy life to the fullest.  But, we cannot forget who is our First Love and give our trust to the One who created us.

Let us pray…Gracious God, help us to remember that you want us to love you first and foremost.  Help us to put our trust in you and to come to you in our time of need. In your name we pray, Amen.