The Hidden
Jesus -Bone Warrior
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The freshly killed bodies just continued to pile up around him. These men were seasoned warriors, and although they assaulted him with their swords and spears and shields, he was so powerful that he slew them all with just a bone! Some he would hit so hard he crushed their skulls, and some he stabbed with such ferocity he punctured their hearts! The slaughter was so great that literally one thousand dead men learned the hard way that you don't mess with Samson when he's angry, because in his hands, even a donkey bone is a deadly weapon! Judges 15:14-16 I have read this story many times, and have always been in awe of what a mighty warrior Samson was. When the Spirit of God came upon him, he was simply unstoppable! Actually it wouldn't have mattered what was in his hands, because it was the power of God that made him so invincible. And then it was that it slowly began to dawn on me that this is not just some impressive war story about one of Israel's Medal of Honor heroes, but rather, it is a story about Jesus and I. |
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The story is not only about Samson, for it is also about the bone in his hand, and what his great strength was able to accomplish with it. In the same way, I am a bone in Jesus' hand, and when Jesus goes into battle against Satan and his demons, it is not how mighty I am that matters, but rather, how powerful HE is that matters! If Samson is to be admired for his powerful exploits, how much greater is Jesus when he goes out to war as The Bone Warrior, even if all that is in his hand is sin-damaged me! And so it is that this story encourages me, for although I long to be a glorious sword in the hand of the Lord, I oftentimes find myself to be "just an old bone." The Bible talks about a whole valley full of bones, and it was a sad and depressing place, for it was filled with the dried bones of Israel's warriors, slain in battle a long, long time ago. Ezekiel 37:1-14 |
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Such bones are worthless and useless, and yes, even despised, for they symbolize total defeat. The only thing bones are good for is to be buried out of sight and quickly forgotten. But this story of Jesus as Samson is meant to encourage all of us who feel like "worthless bones." I may not yet be a sword, but even a bone in Jesus' hand can inflict GREAT DAMAGE on Satan's kingdom, for the battle is not won by my might or my power or my skill or my cleverness or my endurance, but rather, the war is won by the Spirit of Jesus, which is able to transform even me the bone into a weapon of great and awesome power! Zechariah 4:6 This story of Samson with a bone in his hand, slaying a thousand enemies, is meant to encourage all of us who do not feel worthy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Satan is the Accuser of the Brethren, Revelation 12:10 and he constantly tells us that we are no good, that our sins disqualify us from service for our Master Jesus, that we are too damaged to be of any value in advancing the Lord's kingdom; but he is a liar! |
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Satan knows that even a worthless old bone in Jesus' hands is a deadly weapon! Be encouraged that in fact, Jesus often prefers to go into battle with just a bone, for Paul tells us God has "chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." 1Corinthians 1:27 A few years ago I was at a home meeting where a spirit-filled woman named Jill Austin prayed over me at a time when I was feeling totally worthless about myself, and I felt that my ongoing struggles with my various sins made me too dirty and polluted to be of any value to Jesus. But as Jill prayed over me, here is what the Holy Spirit had her say: "Jesus says to you, 'You have disqualified yourself from service to me, but I have not disqualified you.'" |
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The Lord then went on to encourage me to be his warrior, and to continue fighting the good fight of faith, for although I devalued myself as being of no worth to my Lord Jesus, he esteemed me as precious, for he knows what great things he can do with just a bone! If you find yourself lying in that huge "Valley of Bones," let Jesus be your Bone Warrior, and watch the miracle of power unfold as you say YES to Jesus on the day of battle! |
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