Lust for anything is bad. If we are not in full pursuit of Christ and knowing him, we can easily be led astray. Lust does not have to imply only sexual sins. Anything that we pursue wholeheartedly can become the thing we desire above all else and cause us to stumble and fall into sin. It can be sexual, or it can be money, things, food; any desire that takes us away whether it is physically or mentally not only is driven by our own selfish lusts but can also become our idle, the thing or things we bow down to.

Samson was a man set apart for the Lord, by the Lord. His parents had been given special instructions by the Lord to not cut his hair and that he would lead the Israelites. Judges 13:5 “Because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Samson did serve the Lord and he also sinned. Sound familiar right, we are saved yet still struggle with the sin in our lives.

Now Samson fell hard for Delilah. He loved her and his love blinded him to the deception that was going on. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.” Delilah was greedy and Samson was in love with his lust running high.

On three separate occasions Delilah begged for the answer to his strength, which was that his hair could not be cut, his strength came from there. Three times he told her a lie, and when the Philistines came and did what he said needed to be done to subdue him he got free. Now you would think that he would clearly see what was going on. This woman he loved was doing her best to get the secret out and working against him to gain money.

Samson so in love and full of lust apparently could not see it, so finally he told her. She cried and prodded him daily to gain the secret to his strength and finally, he told her. Judges 16:17 “So he told her everything. No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazarite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become weak as any other man.”

So, as the story goes the Philistine’s came, Delilah had cut his hair while he lay his head on her lap sleeping. Judges 16:19 “Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.” This is a sad day for Samson, the lust of the flesh, the deceit of his own heart led him into a situation where he used poor judgment and trust. He was unaware when Delilah yelled and said,” Samson, the Philistines are upon you and he jumped up that the Lord had left him, his strength was gone. (Judges 16:20)

What happened next is awful and hard to read. Judges 16:21 ” Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him, down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison.”
Samson found himself in a bad situation, his lady love nowhere around, he cannot see and he is a prisoner. He has fallen so far.

While in prison his hair began to grow. Samson was being made sport of entertaining the Philistines, entertaining them in an arena. One day they had him performing for them, there were about three thousand people, men and woman and the rulers all watching making fun. Now, Samson prayed and made one more request of the Lord. Judges 16:28-30 “Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “O Sovereign Lord, remember me, O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it.
Thus he killed more when he died than while he lived.”

God’s plans for the Philistines were not thwarted. He still used Samson to accomplish his plan for the Philistines, once again a reminder of God’s Sovereignty.

It is sometimes too easy for us to allow the lust of our flesh to take over and blind us to dangers that are there. We act upon those lusts and can find ourselves in way over our heads. There is a little saying that goes like this: “Sin will take you farther than you ever thought you would go, and keep you longer than you ever thought you would stay, and cost you more than you ever thought you would pay.” What true words those are!

If you find yourself caught up in sin because you have allowed your lust and desires to fun freely, remember this it is never too late to bow your knees, seek forgiveness and ask the Lord for help! He always hears the cries of his children. This does not mean you will suddenly find yourself free of whatever it was, but God will begin the work of helping you sort it out. You may or may not live with the consequences of your sin, but you will be forgiven and set right with God and he will help you as you live out whatever the consequences are.

When we are sincere in our repentance then God hears, answers, forgives and restores. He is faithful when we are not, and his purpose will be fulfilled in us. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our wins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

If we seek him daily, he will help us to live in the Spirit. When we ask for help in any situation he will answer us. His ways are best, always!
So my prayer for you is this: If you find yourself caught up in sin that you will not continue in it, that you will call out to God in repentance and seek forgiveness and allow him to lead you out of the situation. I pray you will seek him first before you make any decisions that could cause you pain or harm. I pray that you will desire Him above anything this world offers and that you will seek him with your whole heart! He is there, waiting to intervene on your behalf, don’t let your lusts overtake you and lead you astray.