The Judging of our enemies, might be ask if it could happen to us before a judgment is place on another. How do we define revenge by man to man or revenge of God to man for man, or ability given for revenge to man for man. Lot of people died in many countries for Coronavirus that began in China. The question is was it in ignorance, or full knowledge of what they were doing? Then the question comes whether it was a type of war with a global pandemic. Or was the ignorance done in such a way, that even China suffered with more loss of lives then any of us. I am not sure of the answer, but sometimes one wonders if these type of things is a population war, like Vietnam. I am often puzzled by the way governments and "heros" handle situations. There mind set and eye for eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Let me set the stage for the book of judges, it was a time of lawlessness, or law by each tribe or group of people without kings and rulers as we have today. It almost like the old west, before they became a state. A form of govenment without a government, who ever was the strongest was the ruler of the day. Samson was stirring up a hornets nest with all the venge he took out on the Philistine with the strength God had given him as a Nazarite. A promise of strength has long has he did not cut his hair. A strength that would kill more then one man at a time. Now the area Samson lived it was in controll of the Philistine people. If I cause harm to your place then you going to cause harm to mine. It worse then the Hatfield and McCoy feud. The feud begins with a simple stealing of Samson bride. And so Samson revenges the man that stole his bride by burning his fields and committing animal abuse. Well the philistines get mad and kills Samson father in-law and wife with fire. The philistines come to arrest Samson only to tie him to a rock which he then breaks free and kills more Philistines and takes control of power because of his strength.

After he did all that killing he then remember pray and seek the Lord for he was dying of thirst and the jaw bone of ass/donkey that he killed a thousand men with sprung water from the Lord and revived Samson for the journey as became a judge and ruler in the land. Now Philistine were subject to Israel once again. God's call on Samson was to be a judge. Yet would he continue in power or would his own desires destroy him.

As class of 2020 steps into a new world no longer the graduate but into the freshmen world of life and some college. Some of experienced much in 18 years in life and others have experienced very little. It not how much or how little you experienced, but what gets you from one point in your life to another, and why are you where you are. Would your life be different growing up else where or the same, Would the journey you are now on, good or bad. Is your life about only revenge or only love. If your fifty you seen probably most of what you will see in your life time and nothing will surprise you, but occasionally. Has your life been about revenge or love. Did you lead or did you fall. Did you stand or did you rebel. We all fall short of the glory of God, but the choice we make can effect our life, the course of God's will in our life will only be what His will, will be, but the rest of our lfie is our choice and if we fail to follow after God, our consequences will be of our own making.

What is the point Samson was a young man full of revenge, now in charge of leadership, but he had a rebellious spirit against the ways of God. Yet the Lord was also his provider and strength. He knew where his strength came from and it came from the Lord. It was God's will for Samson to lead for a time. Yet that rebell spirit of his own design would cause him to fall once more. Every now and again the story of rich man, say fifty year old man kills someone in a drunk driving accident because he was caught is then put behind bars if he doesn't bribe his way out somehow. Oh let us not pretend it doesn't happen, but it does. The life style of older generation making it big only to fall, and makes a page in the news and thus covered up because of all the good deeds in the man's life. After 25 years he gets out of jail only to rescue someone on the street from being hit by a bus and is rewarded. Justification is he paid for his crime and did not stop being a good moral citizen when sober and he was able to save the life another human and be rewarded. The point being Samson did not seek revenge on his family that betrayed him, but on those that were the ignitiators of the betrayal. The cowboy movie with the gunslinger fights for a good family, only for some to die because of the villians in the story. Yet in the end the gunslinger wins.

Samson a gunslinger, perhaps, but he more then that he is man with desire that causes rebellion to control him, he not at point of full submission to God. When you began to yield to the ways of God, was it easy, was there rebellion still wanting control of your life? Might even say what will hurt. It cost a good man who slipped up and got drunk a life sentence in jail. No longer rich, but now stuck in the poor house.

Your choice when following God is it to his will, because of the power he given you or because you desire to follow His will. That choice is yours to make, but the life you lead is going to be according to God's will and desire. It can be joyful, or it can be one of trouble. And maybe trouble for a time, only for joy to return, or destruction to come. How will you live it. Will you be a brother or sister to your fellow man or will you seek a life and a pathway that only leads to trouble.

Dear Heavenly Father, give us the grace not only to yield to your will for our life, but to live out days to glorify you. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Mark 3:34-35 KJV
34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.