January 22nd 2024.

SNUFF OUT THE TICKING TIME BOMB Pt.1

Judges 16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him(KJV).

Figuratively, a ticking time bomb is an expression that describes a dangerous situation that may escalate beyond proportion If not checked on time. Those in military understand what may happen if a bomb detonates. Anti bomb squads quickly swing into action to snuff out ticking time bombs upon discovery to avoid disaster.

Some persons are carrying around in them a ticking time bomb that may explode if unchecked. Let's use Samson as a case study. Often, we associate Delilah with the fall of Samson. Well, Delilah was not the cause of Samson's fall. He was only a tool that aided his fall.

What ruined Samson was an unconquered battle he had with lust and lack of self control ever before meeting Delilah. He conquered cities and people. He was known for his physical strength and might but he failed to conquer the battle that raged within him- lust of the flesh.

Ever before Samson met Delilah, I noticed that Samson had been messing around with strange women (Judges14). His sexual escapades didn't start with that destructive lady. The devil knew how great his destiny was and the kind of anointing he carried. The devil x-rayed his life and found a ticking time bomb in him and that was lust and lack of self-control which expressed itself through immorality. That was the ticking time bomb in his life.

What brings great men down doesn't jump on them suddenly, it grows with them as they climb the ladder of greatness. It is not something that jumps on them all of a sudden at the height of success and glory.

The devil is wise. When he seeks to bring someone down, he performs his own X-ray searching for a little seed of hell in that person's life. He arranges people, places and circumstances that will nurture that seed so as to give it full expression at a later time. Surprisingly, the devil may wait for years just to get a man down but while waiting for the time and season of execution, he'll be busy planning and preparing.

No man falls suddenly. Every fall is a product of habits, character or attitude that was not dealt with properly before greatness.

I heard the story of a great minister of God that fell into immorality. After having sex with that demonic agent, she said: 'after 17 years'. So they've been arranging that encounter for 17years but he didn't know. The devil found the ingredient of hell in him: Lust& lack of self control/ discipline. He arranged situation and circumstance that gave expression to lust and lack of self control.

Satan X-rayed the life of Christ but he couldn't find a seed of hell in him. Jesus says, "I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of the world (Satan) is coming. And he has no claim on Me [no power over Me nor anything that he can use against Me];"( Jn14:30).

As a reader of this devotional, I know the Spirit of God is revealing those destructive seeds in you to you. They may not stop your greatness but they want to bring you down from the ladder of greatness. It is a ticking time bomb, snuff it out.