Lessons for Living from the Bible in Everyday English by Dennis Magee

Much like the modern day Christian, Sampson led a life set aside for God. As a sign of this, he grew his hair long. God filled him with his Holy Spirit and gave him the physical powers to do mighty deeds. He was able to slay armies and wild animals single-handed. Then he met the Philistine woman, Delilah, who persuaded him to abandon the true God and to follow her gods. So often, we too, follow false Gods and abandon the true God. So God withdrew his spirit from Sampson and his powers left him. He was captured by the Philistines, bound up and blinded. Then he was taken to the Temple to be put on display. He prayed to God to receive the Holy Spirit and to restore his powers. God answered his prayer and Sampson was able to break down walls, collapsing the Temple, and killing several thousand Philistines. Sampson died in this event. We too can always return to God if we repent by confessing our sins but our lives may show the consequences of our sinfulness in broken homes, broken marriages, and other tragedies of life.