When a person that God has called abandons the integrity of their calling, the Lord can still use them to accomplish His will, even after their life takes a negative turn.

In colloquial terms, Samson was a “mess.” He squandered his life which began with the miracle of his birth to parents who could not have children. His birth was so unusual, that his parents submitted him to a Nazarite vow. One condition of the vow required Samson not to cut his hair. Samson’s parents followed the instructions on how to raise their son under a Nazarite vow, “When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the Lord blessed him as he grew up. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him” (Judges 13: 24-25).

Samson then went out and married pagan Philistine women outside the Israelite nation. He ran after prostitutes and conducted acts of vengeance, all caused because he had a short fuse and an immature level of discernment. He was asked three times by his Philistine wife Delilah what was the reason for his strength. Three times the Philistines waited to rush in and take him captive but they failed. Samson lied three times to his betraying wife and three times the Philistines failed to subdue him.  

After Delilah continued to nag him for the right answer, Samson gave in and told her his power was because of his uncut hair. Samson finally gave in and told Delilah the truth. After Samson’s hair was cut, he was arrested by the Philistines and his eyes were gouged out. He was then sent to grind grain. During that time while working at the grain mill, his hair began to grow and his power returned.

Samson was brought to a palace celebration as a blind and stumbling form of amusement while the Philistines worshipped their false god.  While the drunken party went on, Samson remembered the Lord, “ Then Samson prayed to the Lord, Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes” (Joshua 16:28).

Samson positioned himself between the two pillars supporting the meeting hall. When he placed his hands on the pillars, he shouted, “Let me die with the Philistines” (Judges 16:30). As Samson pushed against the pillars, the roof fell atop the people and killed all those in attendance, even Samson. The death toll fulfilled what the angel told his parents before his birth that as a judge of Israel, Sampson would rescue Israel from the Philistines.

The Lord can use anyone, even a hot-headed man named Samson who pursued his unrestrained passions to negative ends. Samson had choices to make about how he lived his life. His choices led him to stand between the two pillars and push. Samson died the way he lived. Even in his unrestrained lifestyle and under the influence of his undisciplined emotions, the Lord was still able to use Samson to fulfill His calling upon Samson’s life to rescue Israel.  

Even the worst offenders who have a calling from God can be used by the Lord after living a life that revealed one spiritual failure after another. Samson could have lived another way by following the Spirit’s leading, but during his time as a judge of Israel, he followed the desires of his flesh. It didn’t have to end the way it did for Samson. His choices put Him in that place and he suffered the consequence of those choices.