Daily Devotional

“Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison” (Judges 16:21). 

Imagine the devastating experience of slowly losing your eyesight due to the genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa, in which the cells in the retina that collect light gradually die. Now imagine a bionic eye implant that allows you to see the outline of objects for the first time in years. That’s what a new retinal prosthesis is doing for people with damaged retina cells. 

Ophthalmologists can now place a small electronic chip at the back of the eye that sends visual signals directly into the optic nerve. Though the bionic eye does not have enough electrodes to recreate the details of a human face, users are able to make out the basic outlines of people and objects and even walk without using a cane. 

Samson lost his eyesight after he gave away the secret of his strength to Delilah. As a Nazirite dedicated to God by his parents, Samson’s hair had never been cut. Now this Philistine woman whom he loved “pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death” (Judges 16:16). He caved in and told her all, and while he was sleeping his enemies snuck in and cut off all his hair. He lost his source of strength—cutting his connection with God. 

After taking out his eyes, they led the blind Israelite to a prison where he ground grain like an animal. It gave Samson time to reflect on his life of weakness. He repented and as his hair grew back his strength returned. When the Philistines held a great festival to honour their false god, Samson was brought into the large temple in order to be ridiculed. After a time, he rested against two large pillars that held up the building. Then, praying for strength to destroy God’s enemies, he braced himself against the pillars and brought down the entire structure. Though he died a martyr, the blind man could finally see. 

Dear Jesus, because of Your amazing grace, I once was blind, but now I see. Thank you!