Did God forget the hydration? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 15:18-19,

"Because he was very thirsty, he [Samson] cried out to the Lord, 'You
have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst
and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?' Then God opened up the
hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his
strength returned and he revived."

This account of Samson's thirst and God's supernatural provision of
water follows a startling account of Samson killing a thousand
Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Three thousand men from
Judah bound Samson with "two new ropes", (not old and weak rope). They
handed him over to the Philistines who were looking to avenge
themselves on Samson's destruction of their fields of grain, vineyards
and olive groves.

We are told, "The Spirit of the Lord came upon him [Samson] in power."
This supernatural ability from the Lord enabled Samson to rip the
ropes that bound him as though they were "charred flax", grab a
donkey's jawbone and slaughter a thousand fighting men of the
Philistines. It is a remarkable account, stunning.

What is just as equally stunning to me is that following the
slaughter, Samson felt he was going to literally die from thirst.
Crying out to the Lord he said, "Must I now die of thirst and fall
into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Maybe it is just me, but isn't
it incredible that following such a supernatural empowerment from God,
enabling Samson to slaughter so many Philistines, that he now fall
into their hands due to thirst? I understand that such a physical
exertion would generate thirst in a big way, I get thirsty after just
jogging a mile! But the whole account is of God empowering Samson's
body to do the supernatural. Did God forget about the hydration part?

I think the answer may be found in a comment Paul makes a little over
a millennium later. "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers,
about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under
great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired
even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But
this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who
raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he
will deliver us." 2 Corinthians 1:8-9.

In this passage Paul reminds us that even when we may feel invincible,
it is God who animates us, it is God who strengthens us, it is God who
empowers us, it is God who equips us. When we fight our victories, we
may need to be reminded it is God we are dependent upon as he is the
One who accomplishes his exploits through us.

Although Samson acknowledges his victory was provided him from God,
might have Samson needed the reminder after such a thrashing of the
Philistines? After utilizing the strength, the prowess, the power, the
determination required for such a feat, Samson may have needed a
reminder as to where it all came from - not from within him but from
what God provided him to do what God wanted him to accomplish. Maybe
Samson's thirst was not a reminder for him nearly so much as it is for
me as I read the account? Maybe I need to be reminded that those who
have done great things for God did it with what God provided.

A huge slaughter demonstrating an indomitable strength, where a
thousand trained fighters are crushed, how could Samson next struggle
for the need of a cup of water? The very God who provided Samson his
strength also demonstrated to Samson, and me, his utter dependence
upon God who supernaturally provided him a drink of water from the
hollow place in Lehi.

I don't think the note on Samson's thirst is simply a passing comment
but an important part of the story.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com