Samson has married the Palestinian woman and presents a riddle to her guests. Samson’s wife is threatened by her wedding guests that they will burn her household if she doesn’t get the riddle answer. She begs Samson for the answer to try and save herself and her family. She doesn’t trust her new husband. She doesn’t trust His God or hers. She is going to protect herself by doing what she can to prevent the thing she dreads. But, she can’t. She and her father are burned. She can’t avoid her fate by her own hand.

Repentance is the only method of changing our fate.

Samson is a hard character to accept. He’s carrying out the Lord’s purposes and acknowledges that God gave him victory over the Philistines. But then he speaks to God in a demanding arrogant way saying, “Shall I now die of thirst?” He knows the Spirit of the Lord overcomes him and gives him strength. He knows the before and after. The cartoons with a big muscleman on them are probably all wrong. Samson had no super strength on his own. His strength was from the Lord.

He returns to his parents’ home in hot anger. They can see what they feared. It had not been the right choice marrying a Philistine. They have to trust the Lord is working out His purposes.

It’s not going to end well for their son, except it is. He judges Israel for 20 years. He carries out the Lord’s will against the Philistines. He will learn to humble himself before God and to trust Him for the strength when he needs it. We haven’t gotten to that part of the story yet.

The trials and tribulations are part of God’s salvation. We need them to bring us to the place God has prepared for us. They are part of the process of burning away what is not of God to make us the pure and spotless bride Jesus deserves.

Your children are human, which means they are sinners. Hopefully, they have chosen to follow the Lord. Either way, they will face suffering. We need to know, this is from the Lord. He is good and is working out His good purposes for their good and His glory.