Self Reliance Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: "Self Reliance" Keywords: "reliance" "unclean" "vow" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. The story of Samson (Judges 13-16) depicts the tragedy that can result from giving in to lust. Let us see what we can learn from his experience. Passage: Judges 15:15-19 * 15 He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out and took it and killed a thousand men with it. 16 Then Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men." 17 When he had finished speaking, he threw the jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi. 18 Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, "You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" 19 But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it. When he drank, his [strength returned and he revived. Therefore he named it En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. Questions 1. Once again, Samson is violating his nazirite vow (this vow is defined in Numbers 6) by using an unclean item (the jawbone of a dead donkey). Do you see any clues about how God viewed this battle?   2. Who was Samson relying upon to give him this victory?   3. How did God remind Samson that he could not survive without God's help?   4. What/who do you rely upon to give you the strength to resist the temptation to view Internet pornography?   Practical help This is the first time Samson entered a battle that the "Spirit of the Lord" did NOT "come upon him mightily!" This would have been a perfect time for him to lead the Israelites into a decisive revolt against the Philistines and drive the Philistines out. But Samson decided to rely upon himself rather than God and Godly men. And when he won this battle, he sang praises to himself - not God. By doing this, he made himself more vulnerable to entering a battle without God's protection.   Do not be fooled when you appear to have won a battle without help. In the long run, you are setting a trap for yourself - rely on God, not you. If you rely on God, He will come to your aid - like the way God provided refreshing, life-sustaining water to Samson. (I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. - John 15:5) For Tomorrow Consider the risky behavior you seem to get away with. Write down some consequences you have narrowly avoided. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 1998, 2004 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."