Samson the strong man: killing a lion with his bare hands (Judg.14:6), slaying thirty men of Ashkelon (14:19), breaking the bond of two new ropes (15:14) and then as he died, slaying "more than those whom he killed in his life" (16:30), as he "brought the house down" on the Philistines. But Samson made a fatal mistake: he went to sleep on the knees of Delilah.

You remember the story. Delilah begged Samson continually to tell her the source of his great strength (16:6,10,13,15,16). Each time he lied to her until finally, "he told her all that was in his heart" and revealed that if his hair was cut he would become as all other men (16:17). And then, having told Delilah his secret, "she made him sleep on her knees" (16:19). On the knees of a woman who had attempted to trap him...he went to sleep! In the presence of his Philistine enemies...he went to sleep!

Ah, sleep...what a wonderful thing for the weary body; how refreshing and invigorating. But there are some occasions when it doesn't pay to go to sleep--either literally or figuratively. Sadly, Samson did both on the knees of Delilah as he slept the sleep of false security. Are you sleeping on Deliah's knees?

Prosperity puts many to sleep there. We look at our abundance: fine family, good jobs (often two incomes), good retirement package---living "the good life." But how sad that it can't be said of us, "Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest proper and be in health, even as they soul prospereth" (3Jo.2). That's one prayer many wouldn't want answered: it would bankrupt those whose spiritual health is as poor as their physical lives are prosperous. Remember the "rich fool" (Lk.12:13-21)? Everything was so well with him (vss.16-18) that he thought he'd just "kick back" and not worry too much about anything (vs.19). Like many "well-off" people today He talked in terms of "many years" of enjoying life, but he was asleep on Delilah's knees.

Age lulls others into slumber. We've all thought, said, or heard it before: "I'm so young...I've got a good scholarship to college ...I'm engaged/married to a wonderful person and we have so many plans," etc., etc. My young friend, are you sleeping on Delilah's knees?

These things, and others, have too many sleeping on the knees of Delilah. As in the case of Samson, we slumber in the presence of our great enemy the Devil (1Pet.5:8-9), even "him that had the power of death" (Heb.2:14). People of all age groups and economic strata are dying...and we go on sleeping. We know our lives are not right with God, yet we continue in the foolish stupor of security. Duty to the Lord is set aside as we think, or even speak, in terms of "many years" in the future. But God roused the rich fool from his "sleep" of false security and Samson woke up also, both to bitter fates (Lk.12:20-21; Judg.16:20) and the same can happen to any of us today and at any time.

Are you sleeping on Delilah's knees? If so, don't you think it's time to wake up? "Wherefore he saith, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee." (Eph. 5:14)