It's a Fight!

Judges 14:5-6;8 As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. 6 At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat......Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass.

Well if you have watched the first two games of the NBA Finals, regardless of what team you are pulling for, one thing is for sure, it's a fight! After the Lakers went out and handled business in the first game, the Celtic pride came through in game 2 and reminded everyone that they too are champions. It's going to be very interesting this week as the scene shifts to Beantown. Of course Boston will be primed and pumped in front of their fans. However I think this Lakers' team will be ready for the challenge. It seems that they perform their best under pressure.

Speaking of which, has there ever been a time in your life when the pressure was on? If you are honest, we constantly experience these occasions because life is a fight! If you don't believe me, ask Samson and he will tell you that life is a Fight. Our text lets us know that he was just minding his own business and out jumps a lion. Now I know that you've had some ferocious fights but when was the last time you tangled with a lion? However, though we don't battle literal lions, you do know our enemy, the devil is like a roaring lion. Everyday, rather in our careers, the community, at the crib and even sometimes at church we have to battle this lion. The Bible lets us know that we fight not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. This enemy is trying to paralyze our potential, downsize our dreams, and destroy our destiny.

Not only does the text tell us about the fight but it also lets us know there is a Force we can depend on. Vs. 6 says that when it was time to fight, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, giving him the power to lick the lion! I am so glad that when I face lions that I don't have to do so in my own strength. Just think, it would be pretty depressing to try to fight this foe without a force. In a real sense that is just what many individuals do daily- try to prevail with no power. However, I'm thankful that as believers we have power throught the Person of the Holy Spirit. In fact we have an advantage over Samson in that The Holy Spirit indwells us which means He is with us all the time. Now I can confidently confess that Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world!

Finally the text blows my mind and shows us, it's amaing what we Find after we have been through a fight. After Samson killed the lion and went on to where he was going, later he traveled down the same road and saw the carcass of the dead lion. He then noticed that there was honey inside the carcass of the lion. Did you get that? In his the place where he previously struggled was something to sustain him! Where he before had to fight, he found honey! It's amazing to me what God allows me to find as a result of what I've been through. Have you ever looked back over your life and thought about what you've found as a result of the fight you've been in? Maybe it was wisdom, experience, joy, or patience. God allows us to find so many good things after the fight. Going back to my Laker analogy, the last time L.A. played in Boston in the Finals, they got smashed by about 39 points as the Celtics won the championship in 08'. But Laker fans understand that it was that fight in 08' that made them tough and allowed them to find the championship in 09'. Similarly in our lives, God has an amazing way of bringing something that helps us (honey) out of what could have hurt us (lions). Today know that you are in a fight. But be of good courage because you have a Force to help you succeed in the fight. Now it's your time to open your eyes and find your honey!
Peace!