We often think we know the direction God would have us to go. And we do our best to follow Him and accomplish what we believe we are to do. Yet, there is always an element of the unexpected or a surprise twist to what the future actually holds for us. And this is especially true when we fail to use good judgment.

For example, Sampson was born to be a great judge and liberator of Israel. It appeared that the plan of his life was to be a great warrior and for him to use his physical strength to be deliverer of the nation from the Philistines. His strength was great, as was his reputation, and he slew multitudes of the enemy.

Then Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve piled them in heaps! With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve killed a thousand men!” Judges 15:16 (New Living Translation, NLT)

Imagine someone capable of killing a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey! It was probably assumed that he would be a victorious warrior on the battlefield all of his life. Yet, his life took an unexpected turn when he made a very poor decision in revealing the secret of his strength to Delilah, who passed it on to the Philistines. And, in a moment, with a snip of the shears, his destiny shifted. He went from being a great warrior to being a weakling, blinded and enslaved by those he was born to eliminate.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (New Living Translation, NLT)

It was a tragic turn of events for Samson. Yet, God has a way of taking the negative and turning it around for His glory. He can use even those of us who think we’ve messed up too badly to be of any use to the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, He can use those people often more easily than He can use those who have it all together. As Samson’s hair grew during his captivity, God gave him back his strength. And in one opportune moment, God used Samson in the final act of his life to kill more Philistines than he had in his entire lifetime.

We may not be looking to kill Philistines, but each of us has a destiny and we want to be used by God. Yes, you may have messed up. You may not be perfect. You may still be under contruction by the Lord, but He uses us at every level as we grow. Don’t look at what you haven’t done right. Don’t see your weaknesses and mistakes. Look to God, who took a shattered, blind man in chains and brought down an entire nation. He can surely use you and me!