"Your Ripples" - 03/23/17 - Judges 13-15

"Some days later when he came back to get her,
he made a little detour to look at what was left of the lion.
And there a wonder: a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass—and honey!
He scooped it up in his hands and kept going, eating as he went.
He rejoined his father and mother and gave some to them and they ate.
But he didn’t tell them that he had scooped out the honey from the lion’s carcass." (14:8-9)

Drama - What I think of as I read through these verses of Samson's life. 

How he goes from being a servant for God into a servant for "self".  Eating honey from a dead lion carcass?  Why would he even want to go back and check on the carcass?  Not only was he becoming unclean by touching the carcass - he ate honey from it!  Along with the bees -there would have been maggots, flies and stench.  

But then, why do we constantly go back and look at sin.  Before you know it, you're down on your knees, reaching into the decay, eating of it, sin now becoming a part of you. 

I too, have and do the same, as did Samson.  Going back to check out sin - sitting down to eat of what I think is too good to pass up, ignoring the filth it is surrounded by.  Ignoring the way the filth of sin will cling to me - become a part of me as it passes through my lips. 

This proves we alone can not even be around sin - it will consume us.  It is only through Christ we are protected.  Only In Him and The Holy Spirit are we in a shield that is impenetrable. 

There is a flip side of the lion's carcass.

It is us in sin.  Dead.  Only God can transform total ugliness of sin into the pure sweet honey. 

Don't miss out an important fact in these verses.  Samson gave his parents the honey without telling them where it came from.  In their eating of it, they unknowingly became unclean. 

When Jesus left, He left us to continue as His vessels in making disciples.  One drop of water creates a ripple.   Our  living life is a drop of water.  Every single thing you do has consequences - good or bad - touching  lives all around you.  Those who are living and those to come - even those who are gone that were once in your life.  When you look into the mirror, deep into your soul, ask yourself - what are you passing on? 

Are you a part of our Living God, passing on to all His pure sweet honey - the gift of Him, eternal life.

Or are you a part of the carcass of sin - the decayed, maggot infested, stench of eternal death.

What is your ripple?