Almost sounds like something from a science fiction novel. But this story really happened. This is the story of Samson and Delilah from Judges 16:4-21. Some consider Delilah to be the downfall of Samson, but the fault lies with him. She revealed her loyalties quite soon, still Samson continued to lay his head in the lap of Delilah.

The first time she tied him up in an effort to make him as weak as an ordinary man should have been sufficient evidence. Samson seems to typify the clueless, gullible meathead. But I doubt that was the case.

Samson was flirting with disaster and he liked it. He enjoyed taking risks. He arrogantly believed he could conquer every challenge he faced. He was blind to his weakness, which led to even more darkness.

How often do we make the same mistake? We flirt with temptation. We toy with that which would destroy us. It doesn’t have to be something as treacherous as Delilah. But it is a risk. It’s something that wisdom cautions us to avoid or abandon, but we ignore the warning with the smug confidence that we are strong enough to handle it. Lesser men should beware, but this is no danger to me.

Tragically those who play such games one day are awakened to discover they have been lulled into a false security and fleeced of their power, bound by their temptations, and blinded by their captors.

Learn from Samson. Don’t get tangled up in the valley of vines.