God Can Use the Spiritually Flawed. (Judges 14 : 1-12)

Welcome

Thanks for pressing play! In today’s journey through Judges we meet Samson—the gifted judge who could tear lions to shreds, yet couldn’t rein in his own appetite. His life is a walking paradox: Spirit-empowered, vow-bound … and willfully compromised. 

The big question we’re chasing: How can a holy God work through people who are anything but holy? If you’ve ever felt the tension between your calling and your failures, Samson’s story is your mirror—and your hope.

Episode Notes


1. Three Snapshot Scenes

1. **The Woman (vv. 1-4)** 
   “She is right in my eyes.” – Samson 
   • Impulse over covenant 
   • Echo of the book’s theme: *“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”* (Judg 21:25).

2. **The Lion (vv. 5-9)** 
   • Spirit-given strength vs. self-given silence 
   • Touches a carcass twice, quietly breaking his Nazirite vow.

3. **The Riddle (vv. 10-12)** 
   • A seven-day drinking feast among Philistines 
   • “Out of the eater came something to eat…”—turning sin’s secrecy into gambling capital.

2. Big Truths to Chew On

| Truth | Why It Matters |

| God’s sovereignty bends even sinful choices into redemptive purposes (v. 4). | Your failures don’t write the final chapter. |
| Charisma without character caves in. | Spiritual gifting ≠ spiritual maturity. |
| “Right in my eyes” is the default of a leaderless heart. | We all need a better King than ourselves. |

3. Reflection Questions

1. Where do you rely on gifting while neglecting character? 
2. Which appetites currently drive your “sight-based” decisions? 
3. How have you seen God redeem a bad choice you made? 
4. In what area do you need to swap *“right in my eyes”* for *“right in God’s eyes”* this week?

### 4. Practice This Week

• 30-Minute Audit:** List recent decisions. Mark each *S* (sight) or *F* (faith). Pray over the *S’s.* 
• Honey Fast:** Skip your go-to comfort snack/beverage for three days. Each craving = a cue to pray, “Lord, master my appetites.” 
• Accountability Text:** Ask a trusted friend, “What blind-spot do you see in me that I justify as ‘right in my eyes’?”


6. Resources & Links

Karl Barth, *Church Dogmatics* IV/1, p. 209 – on God’s use of human sin for divine purpose 

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## 🙌 Stay Connected

• Jeremy McCandless | Substack  Subscribe for the written companion essays.  


Rate & review if this episode gave you fresh hope. See you next week when we watch Samson’s riddle explode—and trace the fallout to God’s bigger rescue plan.

*Grace outmuscles failure—always.*