参孙偏行己路
士师记十四章1至9节
1参孙下到亭拿，在那里看见一个女子，是非利士人的女儿。
2参孙上来禀告他父母说：“我在亭拿看见一个女子，是非利士人的女儿，愿你们给我娶来为妻。”
3他父母说：“在你弟兄的女儿中，或在本国的民中，岂没有一个女子，何至你去在未受割礼的非利士人中娶妻呢？参孙对他父亲说：“愿你给我娶那女子，因我喜悦她。”
4他的父母却不知道这事是出于耶和华，因为他找机会攻击非利士人。那时，非利士人辖制以色列人。
5参孙跟他父母下亭拿去。到了亭拿的葡萄园，见有一只少壮狮子向他吼叫。
6耶和华的灵大大感动参孙，他虽然手无器械，却将狮子撕裂，如同撕裂山羊羔一样。他行这事并没有告诉父母。
7参孙下去与女子说话，就喜悦她。
8过了些日子，再下去要娶那女子，转向道旁要看死狮，见有一群蜂子和蜜在死狮之内，
9就用手取蜜，且吃且走；到了父母那里，给他父母，他们也吃了，只是没有告诉这蜜是从死狮之内取来的。
信息分享
参孙的父母苦苦相劝，若用今天的方式表达，他的父亲大致对他说：「难道教会里没有一位姊妹值得你追求吗？你在哪里认识这个女子的？是在派对？噢，你本不该去这种地方啊！」问题便由之而起。
参孙怎样回答呢？他说：「我喜欢她，我要娶她为妻。」（接着的第4节显然是由撒母耳加上的，他很有可能是本书的作者，他在事后回顾，认为这是神容让此事发生的原因。）
参孙曾经数度面对生命的危险，全靠神赐给他力量才得以死里逃生。第5、6节是两个神迹的事例，参孙当时手无寸铁，但神的灵却临到他的身上，使他轻易击倒狮子。
有时，连基督徒也觉得很难面对「手无寸铁」的情况。他们认为必须要有大型活动或高等学历才能解决问题，其实拥有这两样皆不是问题，问题出在我们只倚靠这些东西，而不倚靠神的灵。没有任何东西能取代神的能力。
参孙还在其他场合展示这种超凡的力量。然而，神将这种力量赐给他，是要他用来拯救以色列人，但他却常为娱乐自己和保护自己的安全而用之。
参孙的例子引发我们思想一个问题：我们如何运用神赐给我们各人的属灵恩赐呢？我们是为了荣耀自己，或是为了荣耀神和实现祂赐予我们恩赐时的目的呢？
SAMSON WANTS HIS OWN WAY
Judges 14:1-9
1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”
3 Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?”
And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”
4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.
Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him.
6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion.
9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
Message
The parents pled with Samson. Putting it into today's language it would read, “Isn't there a girl at our church you would like? Where did you meet this girl? At a party? Maybe you shouldn't have been there.” And so the questions would go on.
What was Samson's answer? “I want her. Get her for me.” (The words which follow in verse 4 were no doubt added by Samuel who was probably the author of the book of Judges and with hindsight showing why God allowed this.)
It was living dangerously, however. Two or three times Samson faced life-threatening situations from which only his God-given strength rescued him. Verses 5 and 6 are amazing for example. Samson had nothing in his hand, but the Spirit of God was on him and he easily defeated the lion.
Sometimes Christians find this matter of “nothing in their hands” a very difficult situation to face. They think they must have, for example, big programs. There must be high academic qualifications. There is nothing wrong with either except when we depend on those things and not on the Spirit of God. Nothing can be a substitute for the power of God.
On several other occasions Samson displayed this unusual power God had given him. But God had given it to him to use in delivering Israel. More often he used it for his own pleasure or safety.
That makes us face the question - what are we doing with the spiritual gifts God has given to each of us? Are they being used for our glory or for the glory of God and the purpose for which they were given to us?