God: The Reason for Despair, the Reason for Hope

Judges 13-14; Psalm 102; Proverbs 14:15-16

 

When you think of God, do you tremble or laugh? Do you cower or dance? Samson’s parents give us an example of both.

 

First, Samson’s dad: "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!" – Judges 13:22.

 

This is a legitimate response. God is so immense, so powerful, so holy, that we ought to realize when we encounter the living God how comparatively worthless we are. His perfections highlight our deformities. We realize that our very lives offend His righteous standards, and that He has every right as God – the Creator, King and Judge of the universe – to strike us dead for our lack of obedience. If God did not exist, we could applaud ourselves as the highest, most intelligent, most creative, most thoughtfully moral creatures in the known world. But God is alive. And an encounter with Him shatters our lofty self-conceptions. We are not wise, good, or strong. Before God – when we compare ourselves with God, up close and personal – we see our twisted, weak, shameful, sinful selves. And despair makes sense.

 

But then there was Samson’s mom. I love her response: "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this." – Judges 13:23.

 

Although despair is a legitimate response before our holy God, ultimately hope just makes more sense. Why? Precisely because in God’s presence we deserve so much to die that the only reason that we can have an encounter with the living God and still be alive is that He loves us. God has good plans for us. God has every right to be disgusted with us, but He cares about us and still wants a relationship with us. Have you thought about that recently? God exists, and you are not dead! There’s a reason for hope!

 

And what’s more, what Samson’s parents did not know, is that God loves us so much that He sent to us His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever trusts in Him will never die, but will have life forever (John 3:16)! Jesus died for us! God would so much rather take care of us than destroy us for our sins that His own Son suffered!

 

God has come down among men. Jesus lived among us. And through His life and death and resurrection, we learned two enormous truths: 1) We deserve to die, and 2) God wants us to live.

 

Father, thank You that You love us so much! We definitely don’t deserve Your love. I know I don’t. Sometimes I want to obey You, but I fall short because I’m too exhausted to make the effort. Sometimes I get discouraged and become apathetic; I stop even caring about pleasing You. And sometimes I go so far as to decide that my needs, or even wants, are more important than people; I neglect others so that I can be comfortable. No, I certainly don’t deserve Your love. But I am so grateful that I’ve met You, that I’ve heard You speak, and that You’ve given Yourself to me rather than killing me off. You are my life! Forever! Thank You!