“Then Samson prayed to the Lord, 'O sovereign Lord, remember me'” Judges 16:28

There have been times in my life when I wanted to give up.  I have been weary, disillusioned, discouraged, or just plain lazy.  Either the attacks had been to aggressive, to task too difficult, or the reward seemed to far off.  For whatever reason...and there have been many occasions, I have wanted to quit.  To lower my expectations.  To wallow in pity, lick my wounds, or selfishly withdraw from the battle.  One of the main reasons that I want to "sit this one out" is because I have become so aware of my own imperfections.   

I hate to admit I have days like that... I would love to just put on a smile that says all is good, doubts have never existed, and my focus is now and forever perfect, but that would not be honest. 

Seeking to discover courage to continue, I have scoured the scriptures and found that I am not alone.  Many men and women of faith have visited the valley of despair..many have evev failed miserably.  What is great is that they overcame, got back in the game and saw God use them.  

Samson was one of those guys.  All of the exploits of his early life were impressive.  He single handedly had an entire nation on the run.  Every ambush that was set against him was defeated and numbers weren't the issue.  He was always outnumbered, but he always won, because God's hand was upon him.

But, in a moment of weakness, he allowed Delilah to manipulate him and he ended up with no hair, no eyes, and struggling to make sense of it all. But, in a dark (I guess the lack of light didn't matter as he could not see) dungeon, he asked God to remember him once more.

He probably did not feel like he deserved God's favor, but he asked anyway.  And, God answered.  When he senses the strength begin to surge through his body as he stood propped up against the pillars of the coliseum, joy returned.  Oh, he knew that victory would lead to his own death, but at least his dying breath would be spent fulfilling the purpose for which he was created.

Perhaps you, like me, have struggled to believe that God could use you again.  Maybe you have been inactive so long you don't know where to begin.  Maybe sin had you on the sideline.  But, whatever the case, I want to remind you that God loves to restore people who are not perfect to places where they embrace His plans and fulfill His purposes.

All you have to do is ask.  "God remember me.  Use me.  Let me be a testimony of your grace, mercy, forgiveness, and strength."

**Are you struggling right now with hopelessness, despair, or your own failure?  Do you wonder if God can and will use you to fulfill the things you were created for?  If so, talk to the Lord about it!  Ask Him directly to inspire hope in side of you that you could be used again.  Then sit back and watch Him do it.**

Would Your Pray With Me?