Focus: A Sacred Secret

Text: Judg.16:17

"That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

God gave Samson a secret - a sacred secret. His hair was the symbol of his supernatural strength. So no barbing salon for Samson. No haircut for as long as he lived. His strength was lodged in his hairs.

The Philistines could not stand the power and influence of Samson. They dreaded him. They were terrorized and plundered by him. So they paid someone to find out the secret of his strength, someone they knew was his weakness, someone he had soft spot for, and someone they knew he could not resist. Believe me, the offer was very appetizing. The pay was huge. So they put together the contract, dotted the i's and crossed the t's, signed and sealed it. And she moved into action almost immediately. Delilah mounted pressure on Samson until he finally succumbed. The Scripture says, "And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart…" (Judg.16:16,17a). That was it! The deed was done, and we read, "And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him" (Judg.16:20). He let out the secret and lost his supernatural strength. He became weak and ordinary. Worst of all, the Lord departed from him, which means that God was truly the source of his power. The presence of God in his life was his power and protection, and it is so for all of us. If we ever lose the manifest presence of God, our strength is gone. His strength remained intact and his secret was not known until he succumbed to her pressure and yielded to her overtures. Samson says, "Then shall I be weak, and be as another man" (Judg.16:7). Your strength is your edge. It differentiates you from all else. If you ever lose it, you are finished. You are not ordinary until you lose your strength. A dear brother told me many years ago, and said, "God has given you three precious things, namely, the word, the anointing, and a powerful voice," and he warned, "Whatever happens, never lose these three things, because if you do, your ministry is finished. Pack your stuff and go back to the village. It's over for you."

Keep that sacred secret that God has given you. Don't lose it for any reason. Nurture, treasure and cherish your strength. Protect the secret of your power. Guard your energy. That one thing God has given you is special and it is to be guarded with utmost care. As for me, preaching and teaching the truth of God's word is my secret. If I ever lose it, I am finished. I am so in tune with truth that error upsets me. I hate error, and sadly enough, we live in the era of errors.

Never lose your consecration. Do all you can to retain that pure power that God has lodged in your spirit.

Concerning the Apostles, Luke writes, "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases" (Lk.9:1). They RECEIVED power. Again, he says, "And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where" (Lk.9:6). They EXERCISED the power and it worked. A little while later, Luke records, "And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they COULD NOT" (Lk.9:40). They LOST the power. The man in need and the people around knew it.

The Apostles felt helpless and powerless.

When God's power is missing from the church, the people know because they come and go with their needs unmet, and their lives untouched and unchanged. Mark adds, "Why could not we cast him out" (Mk.9:28). The disciples themselves knew it that their power was gone from them. They were exposed to their own spiritual impotence.

Let's keep our sacred secrets, and treasure our God-given strengths. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter