The Best-laid Plans

The Best-Laid Plans

Delilah

Read: Judges 16:28-30

Delilah laid a cunning plan to learn the secret of Samson’s strength. When she was finally convinced that he had been honest with her, Delilah lulled him to sleep and had a man shave off his hair. Since he was a Nazirite, Samson’s hair had never been cut. His hair was not the source of his power, but it was a visible sign of his special status. Samson’s behavior had been selfish, sensual, and disobedient to God’s calling. God saw his foolish indiscretion with Delilah as the last straw and withdrew the incredible strength he had given Samson.

Delilah’s plan was successful. With one blow, she freed her nation from their most-hated enemy and got enough money to make her rich for the rest of her life. She could now enjoy all the pleasures and comforts of life. But God had another plan. As the Philistines partied, God granted the repentant Samson the strength to pull down the temple pillars, killing thousands of Philistines and beginning the deliverance of Israel from their brutal oppressors. Did Delilah meet her death that day? Perhaps she had attended the festival as an honored guest. Even if she escaped with her life, any surviving Philistine rulers probably wanted more than their money back, considering the way things turned out.

Most of us like to plan our day, or season, or year. Even if we don’t make specific goals and detailed lists, we have some idea of how we want events in our lives to turn out. No matter how much thought we put into our plans, we will run into problems if we leave God out. Our best-laid plans can blow up in our faces or backfire. God has his own purposes for our lives. The safest and wisest plans are seeking his will and making sure that our plans line up with his.

You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.

Proverbs 19:21