Recently, I came across a video of a guy talking about having strength and it got me thinking about Samson and the strength he possessed. It’s something I hadn’t really considered before but maybe you have and soon enough you’ll know what I mean because I am about to tell you.
The story of Samson can be found in the Old Testament Book
of Judges, chapters 13 to 16 but long story very short…
Samson’s mother, who was barren was visited by the Angel of the Lord and He said to her,
“You have not been able to
have children. But you will become pregnant and have a son. Don’t drink
any wine or any other strong drink. Don’t eat any food that is unclean, because
you are pregnant, and you will have a son. He will be dedicated to God in a
special way. He will be a Nazirite. So you must never cut his hair. He will be
God’s special person from before he is born. He will save the Israelites from
the power of the Philistines.” – Judges 13:3-5 (ERV)
She then told her husband what had happened. Both weren’t
sure how to properly care for God’s special
person and the husband prayed for
the Angel to return to instruct them as to his care.
I want you to note that the Angel of the Lord is no ordinary
angel, He is pre-incarnate Jesus as attested to by Samson’s father, who, after
the visitation said to his wife,
“We have seen God…” (v
22)
Indeed, Samson was born. At the time of his birth, the Israelites
had been in bondage to the Philistines for 40 years and the Lord was about to use
Samson to deliver Israel out of their hands.
Now as a Nazarite, Samson was living a life of strict
obedience to his vows to God however he did have one conspicuous weakness which
would ultimately be his downfall, but that’s a story for another day.
Samson had a secret and that secret was in his hair. You see,
he became famous for his prodigious strength, strength that no one could figure
out. And this leads to the thing I told you I never considered.
The question on everyone’s minds, especially the
Philistines, was “What’s the secret?” And suddenly it dawned on me that Samson
must have been an ordinary looking guy.
I’ve always had an image of Samson as being a behemoth of a
man, with muscles like that of a world-champion body builder and those Bible
Story illustrations I’d seen in books as a child helped to cement that picture
in my mind, even docuseries on television present Samson in that light.
But think about it, if Samson flaunted a well-built ripped
physique, why would anyone be so confused about the strength he displayed?
Samson performed incredible feats in his fight against the
Philistines. He was able to catch 300 foxes to use as living firebrands (see
Judges 15:4-6) and single-handedly kill 1,000 men using the jawbone of a dead donkey
(see v 14-17).
Can you imagine an average looking Joe with no definition in
his arms or legs or chest or back doing these things? You too would have been
completely perplexed and prompted to ask, “What’s the secret?”
Samson spent years slaughtering Israel’s enemy, destroying
their army and their nation.
What’s the secret?
Through a series of events which you ought to read for yourself, the secret of Samson’s strength was discovered. His strength, though symbolized by and tied to his uncut hair, was not in his hair.
Just as his birth was divinely foretold, Samson’s life was
divinely touched.
Samson was moved upon by the Spirit of the Lord, he was God’s
vessel who, when empowered by Spirit, became a powerhouse of supernatural
strength enabling him to perform the extraordinary.
a young lion suddenly roared
and jumped at Samson! The Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with
great power. He tore the lion apart with his bare hands. (Judges
14:5-6 ERV)
he got up and grabbed the
doors of the city gate and pulled them loose from the wall. He pulled down the
doors, the two posts, and the bars that lock the doors shut. He put them on his
shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill near the city of Hebron (Judges
16:3 ERV)
Beloved, the Spirit of the Lord still empowers but you and I
must be willing to be used mightily. God still uses ordinary men and women in
extraordinary ways.
I’ll leave you with this, the
Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with great power but
there’s a big difference between you and Samson in that, the Spirit came on him
but the same Spirit lives in you and that’s your secret superpower.
Amen †
Shelley Johnson “What’s the Secret?” ©2026 April 21, 2026








