Titus 3:1

Based on Titus 3:1

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work (Titus 3:1)

This doesn't sit really well with us 21st Century Australians. Well, we don't mind doing good works, though maybe not every good work. But we don't want to submit to authorities. We want our authorities to submit to us.
It is good not to be a slave to the will of others. But we need to learn to be respectful for our own sakes.

Judges 16:22

Judges 16:22

Howbeit the hair of Samson's head began to grow back again after it was shaved. This seems really obvious, but the "howbeit" suggests that the regrowth of his hair is portentous, the fact that it is will be confirmed later in the story. Samson did a lot of wrong things, and even apart from sins, Samson made a lot of mistakes. None of these resulted in Samson losing his strength, only the shaving of his hair. It seems like Samson's hair regrowing indicates that things are about to get better for him.

God works in mysterious ways. God is gracious enough to overlook a multitude of our mistakes, but sometimes something seemingly small can bring us great grief. Samson's unshaved hair was a part of his religious identity, perhaps that is why it was more significant than his lust for less than ideal women. God has given each of us an identity, we need to protect it from anything that would bring dishonour to His name.

Judges 16:6-21

Judges 16:6-21

Be careful who your friends are. Samson ended up mutilated and in slavery because he did not leave Delilah. She was never his lawful wife, but he loved her and he would not leave her. Delilah was obviously trying to do something tricky with Samson, but he just kept coming back.
Samson needed to get out and meet some new people. Samson needed to spend some time with people who honoured God. Samson had been associating with twisted people so long he thought it was normal. He needed to heed the wisdom of God and stay away form these people.
This is articulated well in Proverbs 1:10-19, though Samson would not have had access to that, since it was not yet written.
Be kind to many, but trust few.

Isaiah 64:1-5

Based on Isaiah 64:1-5

We need to be saved. That pretty well sums up a large portion of Scripture.

I think this must be the passage that 1 Corinthians 2:9 is based on:

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

In the Isaiah passage it is written that since the beginning of the world nobody has observed any God but Jehovah who takes action for those who depend on Him.

All this is follows imagery of God coming down and making the mountains tremble, all to save His people from their sins.

Judges 16:4-5 // Lover of Money

Based on Judges 16:4-5

Now for a third time Samson finds a Philistine woman to desire. Maybe there were many more instances, but we only have records of three.
We are told that Samson loved Delilah. But it is certain that Delilah did not love him very much. The woman Samson married in his youth cheated him out of some money because of death threats. Delilah was content to cheat Samson of his life for money.
It was certainly an offer of a lot of money. There were five lords of the Philistines, and each promised 1,100 pieces of silver. Delilah would certainly have been wondering what was going on when first the foreigner Samson and then every ruler of her people started paying her attentions.

Delilah is named, perhaps because she is the only one of the three Philistine women who can actually be considered a villain. The other two were more like victims of their circumstances. Delilah was not threatened, she was bribed. The lords of the Philistines had to resort to a large bribe, maybe she was from a powerful family. She had the choice to be loyal to her lover, but chose to betray him for money.

In a similar way, Jesus' church has often betrayed him throughout history. That is, by not protecting his faithful followers under her care, but persecuting them instead. The love of gain and success has been a trap for the church in the past. Temptation must be overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the Lamb's people must be protected.

Kindness

Based on Titus 3:1-5

We as Christians are to be obedient to our governments and not critical of anyone. This can be difficult. We tend to see the government as against us, along with everyone else who is not a Christian. Paul reminds us that it is the grace of Christ that has transformed us from the faults of those in the world and therefore we can empathise with them and do to them as we would have wanted others to do to us.

It's easy to say, not so easy to do. It all starts with today, find kind words to express yourself today.

Judges 16:1-3 // Weakness in Strength

Based on Judges 16:1-3

What Samson was doing in Gaza I don't know. The fact that Samson was always noticing Philistine women requires that he spent a fair bit of time hanging around there.

Maybe this was Samson's fault. Samson had trouble resisting Philistine women, but at least he could stay away from being always in contact with them. It really is easier to resist temptation if you don't get as close to it as you can without "crossing the line."

Samson is definitely someone to be pitied. He really seems to be cast adrift, looking for meaning in all the wrong places. We ought to pray for people who are in danger of going astray, and doing what we can to reach out to them personally.

Samson had the strength to carry a massive load a long way, but not to have a meaningful life. Samson needed Jesus, and you and I do too.