The story of Samson’s birth was miraculous. Before he was born, he was called to be a Nazarite ~ set apart for God’s use. Let’s step into the scene between the Angel of the Lord and Manoah’s wife.

Judges 13:3 says, “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.” She was not to drink any wine or eat anything unclean.

In verse 5 He gave specific instructions, “…no razor shall come upon his head…” The Lord was going to use Samson to begin to deliver the Israelites out of the hand of the Philistines. The woman told her husband. 

In verse 8 Manoah asked the Lord to let the Man of God come back. When He came, Manoah prepared a meal. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Right this minute, as I typed this, the Holy Spirit highlighted, ‘in your spirit.’ So I have paused. How do we glorify God in our spirit? Back to Romans 8:5. We set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

Those things would be the opposite of fleshly reactions. Let me review one verse that recorded how we grieve the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:31 says, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”

All words come from our thoughts. In order to glorify the Lord in our spirit, it will come first through our thoughts. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

We build a heart sanctuary of humility by engrafting His word into the walls of our heart. His hidden word will purify our thoughts before we think them, and our words before we say them. Psalm 139:4 Amplified says, “For there is not a word in my tongue (still unuttered), but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether).”

We engraft to strengthen our heart in the moment of temptation. Daniel purposed in his heart long before he was faced with the temptation. He set his heart to please the Lord. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

I want to give you a paraphrased quote from my pastor’s message Sunday ~ humility is a right view of self. We focus on ourselves less often by considering others’ interests first.

Several devotionals ago, I wrote out James 4:6. Let’s go back to the last part, “…but gives grace to the humble.” Paul wrote that his thorn in the flesh kept him from being conceited.

Let’s continue with his words to the Philippians in 2:4. It says, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Verse  5 in the Amplified says, “Let this same attitude and purpose and (humble) mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: (Let Him be your example in humility:).”

There are so many passages that give us a visible view of Jesus’ humility. My mind immediately goes to when He was falsely accused. Matthew 27:12-13. He did not answer a word. 

1 Peter 2:23 says, “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Revile means to abuse, and attack with evil words. Our flesh rises to defend, whereas, when we are walking in the Spirit, we will abide in our sanctuary of humility.

Romans 12:16 says, “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set  your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.” Do you hang out with folks who exemplify the Lord’s character of humility?

I have a new mentee that is really shy. She hates her looks and covers her mirror. I have another mentee that is struggling with eating disorders. She believes that she is selfish and disgusting. In both cases, they are rebelling against the way God created them to be. Why? Their hearts have an idol of pride that controls them.

What controls us is a definitive statement of what we have allowed through our thoughts because of pride. Whew! What controls us rules our motives. Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s word discerns our thoughts and intentions.

1 Chronicles 28:9 Amplified says, “…For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts…” Have you ever allowed your mind to wander aimlessly, or in a direction that you desired a specific outcome? That was exactly what I did in 1983 when I wanted someone to notice me.

I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to help you resist all temptations to let your mind wander. It is futile, which means: fruitless, empty, hollow, unproductive, lacking substance, ineffectual, void of results, and worthless. The moment He sets a check in our spirit, that is the moment to stop. We quench Him when we continually resist through pride.

Pride lusts. It is driven by our flesh, which defiantly resists the Holy Spirit’s leading. Romans 8:5 says, “For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

James 4:6 says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Verse 10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” As the Holy Spirit was speaking these things into my heart, He reminded me of something.

In 1983 I was still really a mess from falling into the ravine. I was crying out inside for someone to notice me and help me. I would dialogue about this in my heart. When I had a certain person in my mind, I would ask the Lord to have them call me. If they didn’t I would get angry. Immature? Yes, but did you recognize the pride of my heart?  No one knows what we are thinking unless we tell them.

Pride blocks grace. Paul recognized that his thorn-trial was keeping him from conceit. The Lord will use any instrument He needs to in order to conform us to His will and ways. We must guard our heart from despising His means to do it.

Think about one who sculptures stone. It might be the 100th blow with their chisel, before they can release what their intended shape is to be. I know that the Lord has used my multiple brain injuries as His tool to shape my character to be more like Him.

Read these words carefully to pick out the pride. Romans 20-21 says, “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why have you made me like this?”

Pride lifts us up through self-esteem. I know, there are books and more books that are geared to help us gain self-esteem. Paul wrote about it in Philippians 2:3. It says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

I view Romans 12:9-21 as a Christian magna carta. It is a great template for living in holy conduct. Verse 10 says, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”

We see a clear picture of what pride did in satan’s case. Remember the serpent in the garden? Isaiah 14:12-15 says, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened  the nations!

For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.”

You can read this account for yourself Ezekiel 28:12-15. Verse 15 says,”You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.”

Every trap that the enemy of our soul sets, will be through a lure of pride. What is disobedience? God says to do something, but in our pride we think that we can ignore His words. Our trial is long and we may complain, because in our pride we think we know what we need. See how insidious pride is?

How could Gideon set up an idol at the end of his life? You can read about it in Judges 8:22-35. He had won a great victory. I want to jump to the account of Paul’s thorn. 2 Corinthians 12:7 in the ESV says, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.”

I was used to the way I memorized this verse as a child. I was startled when it was brought to my attention. Ask yourself this question: Could my trial be a purposeful thorn to keep me from being conceited? It puts another spin on it for me. It helped me offer a sacrifice of genuine praise.

Our victories are from God. They honor Him and lift His name up through praise and thanksgiving. We can only imagine how much satan hates our victories. He will do whatever he can to derail us through them ~ through conceit.

After Gideon’s death, one son said this about him. Abimelech had killed all of Gideon’s sons except one who escaped. In Judges 9:17 he said, “For my father  fought for you, risked his life,  and delivered you out of the hand of Midian.”

Here is our instruction. When the Lord gives us a great victory, we need to humble ourselves. A humble heart will be empowered through grace to resist the pull from satan’s snares to entrap us through conceit.

Think of Gideon. When the Angel of the Lord appeared, He said in Judges 6:12, “…The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Then in verse 14 He said, “…Go in this might of  yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

I want to backtrack. Where was Gideon when the Lord found him? Verse 11 says that he was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. Notice that the Lord called him the opposite of what he believed he was.

His view of himself was stated in verse 15. He said, “…O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” God chose one who saw himself differently than the Lord did. Isn’t that true of us?

When what we believe about ourselves does not line up with Scripture, then we have believed a lie. I recently had a mentee write, “What makes you so sure that I’ve adopted wrong beliefs about myself? To me they are true. And I think that if you get to know me more then you will start to agree.”

Could you hear her lie? The Lord knows everything about us and He loves us unconditionally. The lies we have believed come from one who hates everyone that follows Jesus. We need to refute the lies and affirm the truth of what the Lord says, and not go by how we feel towards ourselves.

God inhabits the praises of His people. Psalm 22:3 says, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” The Hebrew word for inhabit means to sit down, to remain, to settle, or to marry.

When we enthrone God in the center of our heart, anything unholy flees from the Holy. Psalm 68:1-2 says, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of the Lord.”

Like Daniel, when we purpose in our heart to walk in our holy calling, it will keep us from setting up heart idols. I like 1 Peter 1:15. It says, “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” The Greek for conduct means behavior, and manner of life.

If you have fleshly outbursts, it is a telltale sign that there is a heart idol. I heard one preacher describe it as someone blocking your goal. Ever get frustrated? Years ago the Holy Spirit gave me this working definition. God intercepting my way to redirect me into His way.

Dethrone means to disown. We have allowed our heart idols to have ownership. We need to disown them. First by confessing them as sin against God. Next to ask Him to forgive us for allowing them to usurp His rightful place. Then affirm the truth. There are so many Scriptures to do this with. Here is one. Psalm 97:9 says, “For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.” Little gods are heart idols.

Before the Holy Spirit spoke this into my heart, I had never thought of it before. Have you? Fear usurps God’s rightful place in the center of our heart. 2 Timothy 1:7 defined fear as a spirit. A heart idol of fear is a ruling spirit that seeks to dethrone our trust.

The opposite of fear is peace. Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord is everlasting strength.”

What did Paul say about peace? Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

What a great promise! Peace that guards our heart so that the Prince of Peace rules. Notice that it is conditional on not allowing fear to usurp His place. Do not let anything make you anxious, fearful, worried, and filled with dread. Why? Matthew 6:25-34 clearly states that our heavenly Father knows our needs and is well able to meet them. Giving into fear is simply lack of trust in the moment ~ sidetracked.

Consider this: God is so great He had to swear by Himself when He made the promise to Abraham. Hebrews 6:13. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do  exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”