Judges 14

Honey from the hard place

He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion. ~ Judges 14:9

Have you ever gone through something painful, frustrating, or completely unexpected, only to discover later that God somehow brought something good out of it? In the middle of difficult situations, it’s hard to imagine that anything beautiful could come from the struggle. Most of the time, we just want the hard season to end as quickly as possible. But sometimes God has a way of bringing unexpected sweetness out of places we never would have chosen ourselves.

Judges 14 contains one of the most unusual moments in Samson’s story. On his journey, Samson was attacked by a lion, and through the strength God gave him, he overcame it. Later, when he passed by the same place again, he discovered something surprising. Inside the carcass of the lion was a swarm of bees and honey. Out of something violent and dangerous came nourishment and sweetness.

That image speaks to my hear because life often feels like that. Some of the hardest battles we walk through eventually become the very places where God produces wisdom, compassion, strength, and even ministry opportunities we never expected.

Below are three truths from Judges 14 that remind us God can still work powerfully through difficult times and unexpected circumstances.

1. God can bring good out of painful situations

Samson never expected to find honey in the place where he once fought a lion. What once represented danger later became a source of nourishment.  Sometimes the very things we wish we could erase become places where God develops something valuable inside of us.

Maybe you have gone through times of heartbreak, rejection, loss, or disappointment in your life. At the time, these moments feel overwhelming and painful, but now you have compassion, wisdom, and understanding that allows you to encourage someone else that is walking through a similar struggle.

I’ve seen this happen many times in my own life. There were situations I never would have chosen, moments that hurt deeply or left me questioning why things happened the way they did. Now, God is using those very experiences to help me pray with others, encourage hurting people, and speak hope into situations I once struggled through myself.

2. Strength comes when God’s Spirit empowers you

When Samson faced the lion, scripture says the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him. The victory didn’t come from Samson’s natural strength alone, it came because God empowered him. We often look at difficult situations and immediately feel inadequate, afraid, or overwhelmed. But God never asks us to rely only on ourselves.

When you’re facing a difficult family situation, a ministry challenge, financial pressure, or emotional exhaustion. Instead of trying to carry everything in your own strength, begin praying daily for God’s wisdom, peace, and empowering grace to help you walk through it.

There have been many moments where I honestly didn’t feel strong enough for what was in front of me. But time after time, God gave me the strength I needed when I remembered to ask for His help. Not always all at once, but enough to take the next step.

3. Don’t let difficult seasons make you bitter

It would have been easy for Samson to only remember the danger and fear connected to that place. Instead, something sweet was waiting there later.  Sometimes painful seasons tempt us to become guarded, discouraged, or bitter. But God wants to heal our hearts so we can continue moving forward with hope.

If someone has hurt you deeply or disappointed you, instead of shutting down completely, ask God to heal your heart and help you remain open to what He wants to do in your life through the situation. Healing doesn’t mean pretending pain never happened. It means allowing God to bring restoration instead of allowing hurt to harden your heart.

One of the clearest examples of this in my own life happened during the world shutdown in 2020. While so much of the world was shrinking back in fear and uncertainty, it unexpectedly became the time where God helped me finish my first book. I had started writing the year before, but suddenly life slowed down enough for me to finally press in and complete something God had placed on my heart.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t fears and concerns during that time. Like everyone else, I cared deeply about the safety of my family and loved ones, and I spent a lot of time praying for protection and wisdom. But I also made a decision not to let fear dominate my thinking or allow all the anger, tension, and division happening around me to consume my heart.

There were also opportunities during that crisis to become discouraged or offended. I wanted to find ways for our church to continue reaching people, serving the community, and creating safe opportunities for prayer and connection outside the building. Yet many of the ideas I felt passionate about were often met with hesitation, resistance, or fear. At times, that was painful and frustrating because my heart simply wanted to help people stay connected and encouraged. 

But instead of becoming bitter or shutting down, we chose to use that time to press into God and focus on the things He was giving us grace to accomplish. Looking back now, I can see how God brought honey from a very hard place. What felt limiting at the time became a season of growth, deeper dependence on God, creativity, and unexpected fruitfulness.

Over and over, God has shown me that He can bring something meaningful out of painful or difficult seasons. Some of the very struggles I once questioned became opportunities to connect with someone else who needed understanding, prayer, and encouragement. God truly knows how to bring sweetness out of places that feel heavy when we continue trusting Him through the process.

Today I want to encourage you, don’t give up in the middle of a hard season. God is still working even in places that feel painful, confusing, or disappointing right now. What feels heavy today may eventually become the very place where God produces wisdom, strength, compassion, and purpose in your life. Trust Him enough to keep walking forward. He knows how to bring sweetness out of struggle, healing out of hurt, and beauty out of places you never expected.

Today’s scripture reading: Judges 14

1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 

2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”

3 Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?”

And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”

4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 

6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 

8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 

9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 

11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. 

13 But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.”

14 So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet.”

Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.

15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?”

16 Then Samson’s wife wept on him, and said, “You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.”

And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?” 

17 Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. 

18 So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not have solved my riddle!”

19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house. 

20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

Journal:

• What difficult season in my life may God be using to develop something valuable in me
• Have I allowed any painful experience to make me guarded or discouraged
• Where have I already seen God bring something good out of a hard situation
• What would it look like for me to trust God more fully in my current struggle