Samson was one of the strongest men in the Bible, but his life shows us that strength alone isn’t enough. God gave Samson a special job before he was even born. He was supposed to help free Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:5). But even though Samson had power, he made a lot of poor choices. His life is a warning—but also a reminder of God’s mercy.
Here are 3 things we can learn from Samson’s life:
1. God Gives Us Gifts—But We Can Waste Them
Samson had a gift. His strength came from God, not himself. But instead of using it for the Lord, he often used it to impress people or get revenge. He chased after women who didn’t love God and did things that brought him trouble.
The Bible says, “For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5).
God gives us all gifts too—maybe it’s being a leader, singer, a helper, a good listener, or a giver. But if we don’t use those gifts for Him, we can waste them, just like Samson did.
2. Sin Always Has a Cost
Samson didn’t listen. He let a woman named Delilah trick him into giving away his secret. Once he told her that his strength came from never cutting his hair, she shaved his head while he was asleep and called the Philistines.
“But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house” (Judges 16:21).
That’s a sad verse. Sin doesn’t just take away your joy—it blinds you, binds you, and makes you grind, just like it did to Samson. He was now weak, in chains, and alone. That’s where sin always leads.
3. God Still Listens When We Call
Even though Samson had messed up big, he cried out to God one more time. He asked God for strength—not for himself, but to bring down the Philistine temple and win one last victory for Israel.
“And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee…” (Judges 16:28).
God heard him. Samson died that day, but he died doing what he was born to do—fight for God’s people. That last act mattered.
It doesn’t matter how far you’ve gone or how many mistakes you’ve made. If you’re still breathing, it’s not too late to get right with God.
Samson’s strength didn’t come from his muscles. It came from the Lord. And when he forgot that, he fell. But when he remembered it, God used him one last time.
Let’s not wait until the end to get serious about God. Let’s give Him our strength while we still have it.
