And she said, the Philistines are upon you, Samson!  So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!”  But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Judges 16:20 (NKJV) Greetings Family: I pray all is well with you.  I pray that on this day you be filled with the light of love through Jesus Christ.  I pray God hears your heart and answers your innermost desires to His glory.  I pray you are at peace. So family, about a week ago I had a conversation with a good friend which ultimately turned out to be a full-fledged bible study.  As we discussed the ongoing pandemic and shelter-in-place throughout the country, a question arose as to what would be next.  I found this interesting as our own pastor have been teaching around “next steps” and therefore my interest in the topic was peaked.  We pondered the relaxing of restrictions and discussed how, if at all, this experience would change us individually, as a nation, and as a church.  And so, the Holy Spirit directed our conversation to the book of Judges and the plight of Samson. In my opinion this is one of the more tragic stories in the bible.  The scripture lays out an occurrence in chapter sixteen of this book where this man (Samson) comes in contact with a female (Delilah) who is more than willing to accept payment in exchange for determining the secret to his powers that he might be overtaken by the Philistines.  Now, what stands out to me most in this text was the fact Samson had full knowledge of his powers as well as his weaknesses.  Understanding the fullness of his calling, his strengths, his assignment, and his weakness; Samson in a moment, still gave in to the human condition. Samson fell short on the part where; what is of the flesh is flesh, and what is of the spirit is spirit. Ultimately, the questions on the table for us was: What is God requiring right now?  Have we become arrogant in our calling/gifting?  Have we moved so far in the wrong direction that God have departed from us?  Family, suppose without realizing it, we have given in to our weaknesses and been operating on the glory of how things used to be.  Suppose God is requiring a return to what makes us stronger together.  Suppose God is requiring an intentional and devoted turn towards a renewed relationship in Christ.  Suppose we humble ourselves and pray. Next steps…. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. God bless you Pastor Don