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Samson’s Hair Began to Grow

One of my favorite Bible verses is Judges 16:22.

“But before long, Samson’s hair began to grow back”

This might not seem like much to you, but remember what he had done: Samson drank out of the devil’s Crock-Pot, paying for temporary pleasure with future power. His strength left him when his head was shaved. His eyes were poked out. His enemies wrapped him in chains and put him in a dungeon to grind grain and be laughed at. The enemy took his strength and his eyes and all Samson got for it was a few nights with Delilah. (Read Judges 13-16 for the full story.)

This is all very sad, but there is redemption in it. In those dark days he came to his senses, and his heart turned to God in prayer. As he did, a little stubble appeared on his scalp. Little by little it grew, and as it did, so did he. I’m not saying everything was like it used to be—he never got his sight back—but as his hair got longer, he became stronger, and with that newfound power came a resolve. His desire was for the enemy to pay for what was taken away. God used Samson more powerfully in his weakness than he had in the rest of Samson’s life.

Maybe you, like Samson, feel hopeless. Maybe you, due to mistakes made, lost everything. Did you cheat on your spouse? Did you get kicked out of school? Are you so low that suicide seems like the best way out? It’s not too late. Your hair can grow again.

I’ve read the Bible from front to back, and while there is a lot I don’t understand, this I know: It all works out in the end. That means if it hasn’t worked out yet—it isn’t the end! As long as your heart is beating in your chest, there remains hope of a better tomorrow. Never forget we serve a God whose Son was dead—until he wasn’t. God can make a way where there is no way. The name of Jesus is greater than heroin, divorce, debt, addiction, incarceration, prostitution, or bankruptcy.

It matters not how deep of a pit you have fallen into or how long you have been there—only whether you are willing to be made well.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Are there any areas of your life that feel hopeless? What does God’s word say about your future? (Jeremiah 29:11)
• In what ways have you been used through your weaknesses?

Remember: When you fall, get back up.