CiMos Expressions

I sat in my cold damp cell ignoring the vermin scampering around me. I cannot see them because I am blind. I am blind. I cannot believe I gave my heart to another Philistine woman who betrayed me. I hope Delilah is enjoying her new found riches. I did not think Delilah would turn on me like that. My parents warned me to choose a woman from my own people.

As I sat brooding over my mistakes, I could hear the clanking sound of keys followed by the creaking of a door opening. Soldiers were coming. The heavy footsteps on the stairs told me they were coming for me. I guess they have come up with a new way to humiliate me. They had already gouged my eyes out. What else could they do?

“Come, Samson. This is your lucky day. You have been chosen to entertain us at our celebration honoring Dagon. He has delivered you into our hands, so you get to dance for us.” The soldiers grabbed my arms, drug me up the stairs and flung me into the middle of the temple.

I kept feeling someone touch me. The crowd laughed as I spun around looking for something to hold onto. The pagan worshipers began to cheer and praise their god for delivering me into their hands. Someone bumped into me and I stumbled into one of the pillars holding up the temple. I could tell the temple was packed from the roof to the floor. There had to be thousands of people here. I wondered if Delilah was among the crowd.

As I leaned against the pillar, I reached up to rub my head remembering the shave Delilah gave and drew in a quick breath. My hair was growing back. I asked a servant who was standing nearby to help me stand between two pillars. As I touched the two pillars, I could hear the crowd laughing at me. I prayed and asked the Lord to remember me and give me the strength to get revenge for my eyesight.

I pushed against the pillars and prayed, “Let me die with these Philistines!”

Suddenly, I felt the pillars begin to shift. The crowd grew silent just before I heard a loud groan. The temple began to shake and crumble. The people began to scream as they realized my God had returned my strength to me.

Now I could die in peace. The Lord had been good to me. He gave me strength to do mighty works for Him. Even in my weakest and darkest hour, He never gave up on me.

The conclusion of Samson’s life reminds me of oxforddictionaries.com’s phrase describing hope–“hope against hope: clinging to a mere possibility.” Samson did not know for certain his strength had returned, but he knew God was able to do what seemed impossible.

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 33:17 (NIV)