What’s the Secret?

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleopas’ Companion

Now for us to speak of Cleopas’ companion, we should first speak of Cleopas. So, in case you’ve never met him, let me introduce you to Cleopas.

Cleopas was a disciple of Jesus, presumed to be one of the seventy-two whom Jesus sent out on a mission.

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. (Luke 10:1 NLT)

Among other things Jesus instructed the seventy-two to do, He also told them to, Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ (Luke 10:9 NLT)

So, if that presumption is true then Jesus was no stranger to Cleopas and Jesus would have known him. However, we don’t meet Cleopas until his name is mentioned in chapter twenty-four of Luke’s Gospel account, when he and his companion have an incredible encounter.

Long story short…

It was the afternoon of the day of Jesus’ resurrection. The Man who many had followed and were banking on to free them from the despotic rule of Rome had been brutally crucified and now His body was missing (Luke 24:21-23).

Two of those followers, despondent after everything that had occurred, embarked on the seven-mile journey from the city of Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. For them, hope had faded.

As they walked along the road, discussing the events of the past three days, they unknowingly met up with Jesus and after an initial discourse, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself (Luke 24:27 NIV).

Keep in mind that what we know as the New Testament was not yet in existence, the Scriptures would have comprised the five books of Moses, known as the Law – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy – and the Prophets, five major and 12 minor.

But even after Jesus explained all the Scriptures concerning Himself, they still did not recognize Him. Do you see what they did not see?

Do you recognize that if at that time only the Old Testament existed then Jesus was there from the beginning just as Apostle John tells us in 1 John 1:1-4.

Luke does not give the details of what Jesus would have said to the two, but we are told that, they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if He were going on, but they begged Him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So He went home with them. As they sat down to eat, He took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He disappeared! (Luke 24:28-31 NLT).

Luke recorded an awesome encounter! But questions remain:

Did Luke not know Cleopas’ companion? Why didn’t Luke divulge his or her name?

Just a couple nights ago my daughter said to me, “Mom, when you relate a story, you always name names, but when I tell a story, for me mentioning the names of people is not important, what’s important is the story itself and the lessons to be learnt from the story.”

And this story of what happened on the road to Emmaus is a wonderful example of that.

Clearly the name of Cleopas’ companion was not integral to the story, so it wasn’t worth mentioning but Cleopas being named must hold some significance, otherwise Luke might as well have left him unnamed too since Cleopas is not a name that’s widely remembered and he is only mentioned this one time throughout the entire bible.

Luke intentionally named Cleopas and I believe that the significance is in the name itself, the meaning of the name.

Cleopas is a short form of the Greek name Kleopatros which means glory of the Father, renowned father or vision of glory. All apt descriptions of what occurred on that road to Emmaus and when they got to Emmaus.

Cleopas and his unnamed companion’s encounter that afternoon was indeed a vision of glory. They experienced the glory of the Father through Jesus, the Son when He opened their eyes to the spiritual.

Beloved, that encounter with Jesus was real and whether you are named or unnamed in the telling of a story, Jesus knows who you are, just as He knew Cleopas’ companion whose name we don’t know to this day.

Jesus showed up for both His followers in their moment of disappointment and despair, and when hope is fading fast, you can rest assured that Jesus will show up for you. Even now He is with you and is not about to disappear. Jesus is patiently waiting for your eyes to open, so you not only recognize Him but realize that He has been walking with you every step of your journey.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Cleopas’ Companion” ©2026 April 20, 2026

 

 

The Traveller’s Psalm

David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. – 1 Samuel 23:14 (NIV)

David, being pursued by King Saul, sought refuge in the hills under God’s protection.  Credited as writing most of the songs in the Book of Psalms, it would come as no surprise if the one, which is called the Traveller’s Psalm, was written while David was in the wilderness.

You see, in this Psalm, numbered 121 in the bible, David speaks of looking at the hills as he releases a heartfelt cry for help,

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

He then answers his own question with surety, indicating that he already knew the answer – help comes from the ultimate Helper – the Lord.

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

When you cannot find help, when no one is willing to assist, to whom do you turn? Do you just keep asking others for help?

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)

Have you ever been in such a predicament? Have you ever fallen alone? In desperation, that may prompt you to ask, like David, “from where does my help come?” and, like David, you must also know that your help comes from the Lord.

Don’t be like the woman with the 12-year haemorrhage who, only after she’d exhausted her resources, went to seek after the Lord for help (see Luke 8:43-48). Your first line of defence must always be the Lord, after all, He is a very present help in trouble (see Psalm 46:1).

We are all travellers on this journey of life, and David, in Psalm 121, reminds us that we do not travel alone; he lets us know that the Lord stands by our sides (v 5) so when trouble comes, for it will (see John 16:33), look to Him for help and be assured that He will provide divine care and protection.

Beloved, you may not be hiding out in the hills but as you travel along life’s journey, when you find yourself in need of help, the Traveller’s Psalm applied to your life, gives you courage in these uncertain, difficult and challenging times when fear can easily overwhelm.

Be assured that the Lord is with you day and night, offering you help, hope and protection, as you come and go both now and forever.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Traveller’s Psalm” ©2026 April 19, 2026

Let us Pray…

Acts 7:56 (ERV)

Stephen said, “Look! I see heaven open. And I see the Son of Man standing at God’s right side.”

Beloved, heaven is open and Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 1:21). Jesus became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) by His death on the cross, healed us of our sins, and at once tore away the barrier between God and man, providing us complete access to the throne of Almighty God.

Hebrews 4:16 (ERV)

With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.

We can boldly go to the throne of God in times of need because today, there is an open heaven, and we are invited to draw upwards into the realities of heaven where…

1 Corinthians 2:9 (ERV)

“No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Heaven is open beloved, we have complete access to God and can go boldly to His throne where there is grace so let us pray…

Let us pray, ascending upward until heaven invades earth.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Let us pray…” ©2026 April 18, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Prayer for Stress Relief

Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail). – Psalm 55:22 (AMP)

Lord, You know things are hard for me right now. I am stressed and don’t see a way out, but I know that You see the bigger picture and that You can work miracles in my life. I release my burden on You trusting that I will get through this, not only surviving but thriving.

Thank You for sustaining me and upholding me so I do not slip, fall or fail.

I boldly declare that I am Your beloved child made righteous through Christ, so You will never allow me to be shaken. I no longer take ownership of this burden of stress, instead, I take ownership of the abundant life, love and healing that come from You.

I proclaim that I am leaving behind anything that causes me stress; all burdens were crucified with Christ on that rugged Cross!

Thank You for caring for me and carrying me along the path that leads to victory.

I will stay in faith, and I will trust You completely Lord.

I now open my heart to God’s presence to the point that there is no room for stress to creep in and settle down anymore.

Thank You that Your perfect love has cast out all anxiety and I no longer live as a prisoner of fear.

I decree that I was created for a life that’s better than the one I’m living; to live a life of victory, to live a life of supernatural abundance and to live a life free of the burden of stress.

Thank You for the river-like peace that now flows within me, for the calm that surrounds me and the tranquillity that attends me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “A Prayer for Stress Relief” ©2026 April 17, 2026

You need to rest

 

Life can be overwhelming at times, but more so these days when there is so much happening in the world. And I say that because though you may not be in the direct line of fire, so to speak, our world has become small and the events that take place around us affect us.

On top of everything we have to deal with in our personal lives, we listen to the news, changing from one channel to the next to catch the latest headlines, we surf the web, read the papers and engage in conversations about war and politics and crime and injustice and racism and the list of sordid events goes on and on, all of it feeding our subconscious and we wonder why we’re always so tired.

Day after day we lap it up not realizing the effect all that negativity is having on us.

I have a friend who, genuinely needing someone to talk to, would call to unload his problematic life on me. One day my mother said, “Soon enough, if you continue listening to his problems it’s going to have an adverse effect on you.” I scoffed and continued taking it in because as a good friend that’s what I should do.

Well, after days turned into months of him spilling himself empty while I was getting full, my mother’s words proved true as I began to feel unusually drained. My energy had been depleted to the point of extreme fatigue. I wondered, “Could that be the cause?”

I went back to my mother, her advice to me, “You need to rest. Stop listening because you are absorbing too much negativity.”

Yes beloved, you need to rest; it is essential to your well-being.

He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water. (Psalm 23:2 GNT)

This verse leaves no doubt as to who you must turn to for the rest you need. It is no ordinary rest – not a 10-minute power nap. This is rest that only our loving Father can provide – it is supernatural, allowing you to feed on His nature and bask in His Presence.

According to the psalmist, God wants to give you His rest, rest that is refreshing to your soul, rest that strengthens your spirit, rest that provides you with peace that surpasses every circumstance and transcends understanding. It’s not temporary relief but rest that renews, restores and remains.

You need to rest – to rest in Him, where negativity is replaced with gratitude, where weariness is transformed into strength, and where your mind is at peace and your soul finally finds true rest in God alone.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “You need to rest” ©2026 April 16, 2026

Don’t Believe Yourself

 

Don’t believe yourself? What kind of advice is that? Why shouldn’t I believe myself; then who must I believe instead?

I can almost hear you protesting but yes, don’t believe yourself because you lie to yourself all the time.

Okay, so you disagree? Then ask yourself a few questions.

What have I been telling myself?

Have I subjected myself to a consistent diatribe of put-downs or a slew of compliments?

How often do I listen to and believe the self-deprecating voice in my head?

What are the things that voice has been telling me about me?

Does it constantly judge me and criticize me?

What has it been telling me about my life – how I look, how others treat me and think about me, my capabilities, my relationships, my spouse, my job, my friendships, my house, my love life, my hair, my size, the way I speak?

Now, answer this question: Do you believe the voice?

The voice in your head is forever droning on and on and on and it’s mostly a cacophony of negativity.

The voice in your head is lying to you, and you do not have to believe it, you can choose to not believe the lies.

Don’t believe yourself until you change your internal monologue.

It is time for you to replace the lies you’ve been telling yourself with the truth. You’ve been lying to yourself for so long that it may seem a tedious endeavour but you must be determined to get rid of the noise, refuse to listen, and don’t believe yourself until…

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God made you in such a wonderful way, lovingly knitting you together while still in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:14 & 13).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God made you to be like Him with the ability to reflect divine attributes; He created you in His own image, empowered to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:26 & 27).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God loves you with an everlasting love and He will always be faithful to you (Jeremiah 31:3).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God is for you – He has your back – God is with you (Romans 8:31) and He will fight for you (Deuteronomy 3:22).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God’s love for you is so great that He gave His only Son, so that [you] who believe in Him may not die but have eternal life; Christ sacrificed His life for you (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16 GNT).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God has a good plan for you, a plan filled with hope and a good future (Jeremiah 11:29).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that [you] should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10 ERV).

Remember what Jesus said in John 10:10 (GNT),

The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.

Beloved, don’t believe yourself until you internalize that you cannot have life in all its fullness if you are believing the lies floating around in your head. That inner voice you are believing is like the thief, stealing, killing and destroying your life.

So, speak the truth God says about you until it replaces the lies that you’ve been telling yourself, for as you hear His word, as you accept it, as you embrace it and as you believe it, it will impact you in such an incredibly powerful way that it changes your life forever (1 Thessalonians 2:13).  

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Don’t Believe Yourself” ©2026 April 15, 2026