The Truth Is In The Shadows

               The Truth Is In The Shadows,

           in the deep niches of our searching.

Before I start, I am going to assume you know about the biblical characters, Samson, the strong man, the warrior of Israel and Samuel the Hebrew Prophet. I’m not going to write their stories in this small work, but if you don’t know these two men, you might like to read about them before you begin.

The truth is in the shadows, in the deep niches of our searching. We don’t always see it. We don’t often hear it. But it is there, if only we’d dig into the unfathomable and yet profound word of God. For He will reveal the truth, if we search for Him with our whole heart.

I come to Samson and Samuel today. They are an allegory for life, a parable, if you will. Samson the strong man of God and Samuel a prophet of the Lord. Both men used by God, in their own distinct and individual way. In the same way we are distinct and individual and will be used by God, if we allow it.

Samson and Samuel; both men set aside for the Lord’s work and both with different stories to tell. One went astray and the other followed his divine path.

Although Samson’s mother was not named, the bible does introduce her as barren of children, and although Samson’s mother had not prayed for a child, still, an angel of the Lord appeared and told her she will have a son.

Samuel’s mother, Hannah, prayed for a son. She hadn’t been able to fall pregnant and so like Samson’s mother, was also barren until God answered her prayer. Hannah told the Lord, if He answered her prayer and gave her a son, when the time was right, she would give her son back to the Lord and she kept her word. Hanna took Samuel to the priests and gave him up to be raised by them. Thus, Samuel stayed in the house of the Lord, and there he learned to follow the ways of God.

One mother prayed for her child, the other didn’t. One dedicated the life of her child to the Lord, the other didn’t. Samson’s parents did ask how to raise the child well, but there was no talk of dedicating him to the Lord’s work.

Samson became worldly, giving in to temptation in many areas of life and he didn’t follow the advice of his parents. Instead, he went against his parent’s wishes, and headed down twisted and dead end paths, until he became a prisoner, blind and weak.

Samuel, raised in a church environment, didn’t leave it, nor did he go astray. He lived a holy life all his days.

One man went on to have many troubles. The other went on to do great things for God and although eventually Samson’s hair grew long again and he regained his strength, it was much later in life and only after a lot of hardship. It was only then that Samson was finally able to be used by God.

Eventually Samson remembered his teachings and his full power was returned to him. He ended up doing a great thing for God, in killing many Philistine’s, as he razed the temple pillars to the ground, upon not only the Philistine’s, but also upon himself, dying in his last act. The sad part is, he could have been like Samuel, had he not strayed. He could have been doing great things for God his whole life, instead of going through years of hardship.

Now while this is the story of many of us, those who stray and those who stay, it also shows us, it’s never too late to turn back and do a great work for God.

Satan can’t penetrate a heart that’s saturated by scripture and fortified by faith. It’s in the battles of life, where you realize whether or not you’ve nurtured or neglected your faith. Your faith is constantly under attack. Your faith can only sustain you, for as long as you feed it. If your faith becomes weak, it’s often because it hasn’t been properly fed. It’s prayer and scripture which strengthen faith. Spending time with God and in God’s word, never fails to increase our belief in our great and wonderful God.

Samson neglected his faith. He didn’t spend time in church. Instead, he spent his time labouring in worldly ways. He drank and womanised, spent time in poor company, while behaving badly. Samuel on the other hand, stayed the course, remained in God’s house, constantly going about God’s work. If we want a victorious life, we should never neglect this important aspect of the story; stray and wander out of place and into hardship, or stay and receive the many blessings of God.

Does this story guarantee you a trouble-free life? If you follow the Lord, will you get the end of your life’s journey unscathed? No. This is a fallen world and Jesus said; in this world you will have trouble. We don’t need help it along though, or make it any worse through poor thoughts, poor choices and poor actions.

And if you wish to raise righteous children, perhaps you might consider these things; to raise your children in the bosom of the Lord, to dedicate them to the Lord’s work, that they may not stray, but live a life of joyful servitude to the One True God. Perhaps that’s a noble pursuit.

God knows, in this day and age, we must try to keep our faith at all costs, for evil awaits in the darkness, for the one who is not vigilant. The times are evil my friends. Be counted as one who waits on the Lord. Raise your family in God’s house. Encourage your friends to come along, for although we know not when the time is come, we do know this; the time is short.

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

alexandragrose@amazon.com