WEDNESDAY April 22, 2026
Faith in the Face of Death
For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson....
Hebrews 11:32
Samson’s extraordinary strength made him a renowned biblical hero. Did you know there was a movie made about him? Released by Paramount Pictures in 1949, Samson and Delilah hit the big screen. Victor Mature played Samson, and Hedy Lamarr played Delilah. It was a hit and became the highest grossing movie of 1949-1950––reaching $28 million.
Samson was set apart––a Nazarite from birth––and the Spirit of God was upon him. God gave him incredible strength. In the days of the Philistines, Samson was the Judge of Israel for twenty years, and perhaps it would have been longer if it had not been for his weakness for women.
God used Samson to help defeat the Philistines. He killed 30 Philistines and took their apparel over a dispute about a riddle. He killed another 1000 men with just the jawbone of a donkey! When entering Gaza, he met a harlot and lay with her. The Philistines surrounded him, but at midnight, Samson took hold of the city gates and carried them up a hill.
In the Valley of Sorek, he met another harlot––Delilah. There were 30 Philistine lords who offered to pay her eleven hundred pieces of silver if she would betray him. She accepted the money, and, using her womanly ways, she set about discovering the secret of his great strength. Time and time again, she failed, but she continued to pester him almost to death! Samson finally told her that his strength was in his hair, but the truth of the matter was, his strength was given to him by the Spirit of God.
Delilah succeeded; she shaved his locks of hair. The Spirit of God departed from Samson, and, in weakness, he was easily captured. The Philistines plucked out his eyes. One day, Samson was led into the temple of their god, Dagon. Blind, Samson asked a lad to help him feel the pillars. Knowing he faced his own death, by faith, he called upon God one last time. As his strength returned, in one act of faith, he pushed the pillars and destroyed the temple––killing three thousand Philistines.
Have faith when you face your own death. When that time comes, you do not need to be afraid. Why? When you take your very last breath, God will send His angels to carry you through the gates of heaven.
The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in heaven.
~Billy Graham~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
