Ya Gotta Believe!

 If you remember the movie Chariots of Fire, you remember being moved by Eric Liddel’s stance to not run a trial heat on a Sunday because he felt it important to keep the Sabbath.  “I believe God made me for a purpose, for China, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”  The British Olympic Committee tried to convince him that “it’s only one heat” and for King and Country, he should run. 

- Duke of Sutherland: The "lad", as you call him, is a true man of principles and a true athlete. His speed is a mere extension of his life, its force. We sought to sever his running from himself.

- Lord Birkenhead: For his country's sake, yes.

- Duke of Sutherland: No sake is worth that, least of all a guilty national pride.

What Sutherland was saying is that if Liddel had compromised, he would have lost his connection with God.  I believe this is what happened to Samson.  It was not Samson’s hair, per se, that made him strong.  It was his belief that God had ordained him to be a Nazarite and that he was chosen before he was born to lead Israel.  His long hair was the symbol of that connection with God.  And when he woke up and realized that Delilah had betrayed him, he realized he had betrayed his faith.  Devastated, he could not raise a hand to defend himself and he ended his life in shame and in chains, capable only of one final act of defiance.

I would suggest that Samson had already been unfaithful to God in using his strength for his own gain, and perhaps that is why God allowed him to be put to shame.  Conversely, Liddel held firm to his faith, and won a race four times as long as he was used to running. 

This, I believe, is what it means to have “the faith of a mustard seed”.  When we face daunting trials and pray for God to see us through, can we go forward convinced that God will act?  The book of Daniel (3:16-18) has the famous story of the three friends thrown into the furnace for refusing to bow in worship to the king and is, I believe, a perfect example of how to have faith:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

In other words, they firmly believed that God would rescue them (and he did), but were not going to change their mind or their actions even if they knew he was not going to.  Similarly, as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will but thine.”  

Are you facing a trial?  Insurmountable odds?  As Al Michaels famously said, “Do you believe in miracles?”  And as Tug McGraw said, “Ya gotta believe!”