What Is Your Price?

WHAT IS YOUR PRICE?

By Pastor Jim May

Judges 16:4-22

Judges 16:4-5, "And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver."

The Valley of Sorek was half a mile from the brook Eshcol, from where the spies had brought a bunch of grapes, as a specimen of the fruit of the land of Canaan; when Moses had first come to the River Jordan. Because it was a valley filled with vineyards, the valley also became famous for the best wine. It was to this place that Samson decided to go every time he needed refreshment or sought for pleasure.

If we are not careful, we will allow the blessings that God provides for us to become a curse in that they will lead us into sin. How can that happen?

Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

The wine here not only speaks of partaking of fermented, or alcoholic beverages, “adult beverages” as they are called to be politically correct, but it also speaks of anything in life that would become intoxicating to the point that it would have the power to change your way of thinking and your way of acting. I’ve seen people lose their inhibitions in many ways. Some would lose it in their manner of speaking and begin to use profanity if the right circumstances arose. Some would lose their inhibitions in their manner of dress, just to be accepted as a part of the “in” crowd. Some would lose their inhibitions of honesty, quickly succumbing to being a liar or a thief, whether on their income taxes, or lying to get something that they know they shouldn’t have.

The fact is, that many things in life can be intoxicating. The number one culprit in America is money. Money to get the lifestyle, or just a little more of it, has been the downfall of many people who thought, like Samson, that they couldn’t be bought. In fact, it was this very thing, the love of money, that caused Delilah to decide to bring Samson down into bondage.

Be assured that the devil will try to buy your loyalty and he knows your price. He will find a way to give you what you want in exchange for your soul.

What’s your price? How much does the devil have to put in front of you to make you do his will? Is it $100, $500, $1000, or more? Is it a degree behind your name? Is it a house, or a camp by the lake? What’s the price that you will sell out for? What does the devil have to offer you before you decide to forget righteousness, even for a moment, and take hold of what he offers? I’ve seen so many Christians sell out their convictions for little or nothing. I find it disturbing to think of the multitudes that will have to stand before God one day and answer for their lack of loyalty to God and integrity in their walk with the Lord.

Samson sold out for a little pleasure and a little drink. Are we willing to sell for that, or even less?

Jeremiah 9:23-24, "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."

And so Samson, the mightiest man that ever walked the earth physically, decided to depend upon his own wits and his own strength. That, my friends, is a recipe for defeat in the making!

Judges 16:6, “And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.”

Nothing in the world can make a man fail quicker than sexual pleasure and a beautiful woman. What God created and ordained for good, Satan has perverted, and man has devalued to the point that it threatens to destroy mankind completely. Samson was caught in this web of passion. In the beginning he could have walked away but he chose not to. Now, the more he stayed involved with Delilah, the more impossible it would be for him to break free. The bondage that he faced was not just going to be green vines, or new ropes, but it was a spiritual bondage and he was already tied up and the sins of the flesh were drawing the ropes ever tighter around his heart, “squeezing out” if you will, the Spirit of God that was in him. God cannot dwell where darkness reigns and Samson’s heart was going ever deeper into the powers of darkness.