Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast
Jessi Morgan in 2023 had a traumatic experience that shaped how she views life and her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God has laid it on her heart to share her experiences and inspire others to put God first in every aspect of their life like she finally did in hers. Having her daughter born 4 months early really made Jessi lean on the Lord for comfort and guidance. And today she stands here starting her own 10-15 minute podcast focusing on weekly devotionals about what God can do for you and what He's done for her.
Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast
When Anger Fuels Your Purpose: Samson Part 2
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Have you ever wondered if God can use your flaws—even your anger—for His divine purpose? In this soul-stirring episode, we dive deep into the wild and often misunderstood story of Samson from Judges 14-15, discovering how God works through imperfect vessels.
Samson's journey parallels this truth in extraordinary ways. We explore how this flawed hero—impulsive, vengeful, and often reckless—became God's chosen instrument for Israel's deliverance. From his attraction to a Philistine woman (which Scripture explicitly says was "from the Lord") to his vengeful destruction of enemy fields and his jaw-dropping victory with a donkey's jawbone, Samson's story reveals profound spiritual lessons for today's believers.
Join me in this powerful exploration of how God works through our weaknesses, transforms our shortcomings, and uses even our anger to fulfill His greater purpose. Your imperfections don't disqualify you from God's plan—they might just be the very things He uses most powerfully.
Key Passages Judges 14 & 15
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Hello, hello. You're listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 60. This week's devotional is titled when Anger Fuels your Purpose the Wild Story of Samson, part 2. Let's go. Hi. I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart my journey and love for Jesus Christ, my Savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hot Podcast.
Speaker 1:This is a weekly devotional. I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born, four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, god worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith, woven together with scripture, to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together. Let's all pray within when Anger Fuels your Purpose the Wild Story of Samson, part 2. Key passages Judges 14 and 15. Hello everyone and welcome back to the podcast. So excited for you all to be here listening to the Word of God. Life is good, the week is great. Let's get going. We're picking up, we're still focusing in on Judges and now we're focusing on Samson. Of course, and this should be a fun two chapters. I had a whole different perspective on Samson and I think it's kind of changed a bit, but it's amazing how God can just enlighten you through scripture. So let's get it going.
Speaker 1:This might be a little controversial to start off, but let's start. So sometimes your anger can really push you forward in a good way. Yep, I said it my anger or your anger, sometimes, when you lose your temper and the not so perfect side of you comes out. It's not ideal, it can sometimes be unacceptable, for sure. But there are moments when even that raw, imperfect, heated reaction can be the very thing that pushes you to the next level. And you know what God will still use that he can take your imperfect self and your imperfect response and still work through it. He forgives it, he redeems it and he can still turn it around for good. Now that might sound a little controversial, but as we step into these next two chapters of Samson's life. I think that truth pretty much sums it up. Before we dive into his story, let me tell you about an imperfect moment of my life, one where my anger definitely came out, but it ended up pushing me forward and it also gave me a bad reputation a bit at work, sorry.
Speaker 1:Anyways, for those who are new here, I worked for Macy's for eight years in retail and during that time I was relocated to the New York City store, the flagship on 34th Street, herald Square, and you know it's huge it's literally two blocks long and massive sales volume. I ran operations and support for women's handbags and accessories on the main floor super busy, especially on the Broadway side of the building. And to paint the picture for you a little bit more, michael Kors handbags that was the number two brand in the building. The year I got there it clocked 25 million in sales. It was a big deal. I had a team of about 30 just for Michael Kors and another 60 to 70 for the rest of handbags and accessory business. Now we didn't have enough storage space on the main floor for a bit or in the basement. So our overflow of stock for Michael Kors, calvin Klein, guess all of the big brands were stored up on the 10th floor.
Speaker 1:But here's where the problem came in. There was literally one service elevator to get up there One and guess who? We had to share it with the cosmetics and fragrance teams. I remember my stock guy Mikey real New Yorker, real raw love him to this day, though he kept telling me yo, the cosmetics team hogs the elevator boss, we can never get up there. It's always a fight, and I was new to the area at the time so I didn't really believe him until I saw it for myself. Guys, y'all, we waited 25 minutes for the elevator. The cosmetics team would take it from the sub-basement up to their main floor, unload their products, walk the floor, do their thing, talk and leave the elevator door open so nobody could use it. Remember, it's an old-school service elevator, probably older than my parents. This was no high tech system, it was ridiculous.
Speaker 1:After two days of dealing with that, I lost it, and I'm a pretty calm person by nature. For the most part it depends, but this, oh, no, no, no, no. We were the second highest volume and highest revenue driving area in the entire store. Only Polo Ralph Lauren beat us in sales. So how were we not a priority for cosmetics. He was like the main boss of all the stock guys.
Speaker 1:I walked into a room of about 15 men Imagine big warehouse, energy, okay and I could tell. They didn't know who I was, probably thought I was lost or kind of cute or both. I introduced myself straight up and I said I'm the merchandise manager for women's handbags and accessories, the number two business in this building. You could hear a pin drop. I told them, or I told the receiving team manager. The elevator situation was unacceptable and I was blunt. I said, look, if this doesn't get fixed, I'm taking the elevator and you will never see it again. And I mean it. I was bold, especially being a young woman, but sometimes you have to step up, even when your anger is fueling it. And guess what? I inherited another stock person and made them responsible for running the elevator from like 8.30 in the morning to like 5 pm daily. The beauty team had nothing to say, they couldn't fight it. But that wasn't the only situation the next day. That was such a really intense week for me.
Speaker 1:Anyways, the next day after that situation, I ran into another merchandise manager, a young girl. She managed men's active, which was a huge business. Her stock room was next to mine on the 10th floor. I knew we were about to get hit with about 8,000 units of handbags yes, 8,000. But her team and active had left 40 plus rods of merchandise just sitting there for days, blocking the space. I emailed her days prior to get them back, stocked or moved. No response. I tried to be nice. I approached her, asked for a plan. She basically shrugged me off and told me I have to deal with it. Whew, at that point my patience for the week was gone.
Speaker 1:But instead of lashing out right away, I channeled that anger differently. I got up at 4 am the next morning, took the train in and personally backstocked all 40 of her rods myself. It took me about two and a half hours and I just backstocked it. I didn't put it organized, I just shoved it in there. My team showed up later that morning shocked Boss, what are you doing here this early? I told them I made space so y'all could process the new shipment. Their faces were like shocked, of course. When that merchandise manager from men's came in looking for her stock, I told her directly I backstocked your stuff. Took me about two and a half hours. Your team could have done it in one. You're welcome. And I walked out. I was not playing After that situation, I was known as the B word on the 10th floor or the mean pretty handbags manager.
Speaker 1:Ha Well, that week my anger and response was not perfect, but it pushed me to act, to protect my team, to solve the problem. It wasn't about pride, it was about doing what was right for the business. It wasn't about pride, it was about doing what was right for the business and, honestly, that fire, god still used it and he used it for me to this day. So, which brings me to Samson, his anger, his flaws. God still used him. We're about to see how in the next two chapters. So we're about to see all this in the next two chapters, to see how in the next two chapters. So we're about to see all this in the next two chapters. So buckle up, because sometimes your imperfections, even your temper, are part of the story God is writing for you. So let's set the scene.
Speaker 1:Judges 14,. Samson, the strongest man in the Bible, sees a woman from the enemy camp, the Philistines, and says to his parents get her for me, she's the one I want. Now his parents are confused. But here's the twist. The Bible literally says, within the midst of the verses at this time, at this part, it says this was from the Lord who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines Judges 14.4. Even in Samson's impulsive choice, god had a plan brewing. Even in Samson's impulsive choice, god had a plan brewing. Fast forward On his way to meet this Philistine woman, samson kills a lion with his bare hands.
Speaker 1:Thanks to the spirit of the Lord coming on him, he then meets the woman he wants to marry where this Philistine woman, his future wife, was living. He stopped off the road to see the carcass of that lion he had killed. Imagine this was like a week later or something. And so he goes up to the carcass of the lion and he finds honey inside the lion's carcass. Strange, right, we will discuss. At the wedding. Samson throws out a riddle. But when the Philistines cheat to solve it by pressuring his wife, samson's angry and it just boils over. He storms off, kills 30 Philistines and walks away from his own wedding feast. And it gets messier.
Speaker 1:In Judges 15, samson returns only to find his wife was given to someone else, returns only to find his wife was given to someone else. Furious, he releases 300 foxes with their tails set on fire into the Philistine fields, destroying all their crops. They retaliated by killing his wife and her family. Fueled by rage, samson strikes down more Philistines, even when his own people turned him over to the enemy. Samson breaks free with the spirit of the Lord, grabs a donkey's jawbone and literally kills a thousand men.
Speaker 1:Uh y'all. Was Samson reckless? Absolutely. Was he perfect? Not even close. But was God still working Every step of the way? He was delivering his people through the anger of Samson and his perfections.
Speaker 1:Here's the reminder for us today. Sometimes God allows frustration, anger and even heartbreak to stir something in us. It doesn't justify sin, but it shows that even in our lowest, rawest moments he's not done writing our story. Maybe you're in a season where your emotions feel out of control. Maybe you act in ways you regret. But if God could use Samson flaws, anger and all, he can use you too. Those situations I faced back in New York at the store prepped me for tough conversations when I got into higher executive roles as well as just doing this podcast. Sometimes I have to say unpopular things to get the point across. Boldness is what I took from those encounters in my life. Maybe I didn't have to be so forceful with the beauty manager, for example, but that flaw God forgave and used it to strengthen my confidence and my abilities as a manager, and I'm so grateful for that.
Speaker 1:Before we conclude today, I just want to share three lessons from the story of Samson, and I hope you can take it with you and cherish it. You know these three points I just want you to really focus in on. So. Number one imperfect people and their flaws can be used by God still. Number one imperfect people and their flaws can be used by God still. You are capable of so much more with the Lord, regardless. Number two your strength comes from the Lord, nothing else. This is important because in scripture, twice in Samson's story it says the spirit of the Lord came upon him. It's said it in Judges 14.6, when he went up against the lion, and in Judges 15.4, when he was handed over to the Philistines the first time, and then he killeda thousand men. Samson became strong when he was challenged and needed. So strength comes from the Lord, nothing else. And number three this was a big one. Even in a tough, frustrating situation, something sweet can come out of it. Interesting, right. This is where I'm going with this.
Speaker 1:This story in Judges 14.9 is one of my favorites for the exact reason. Samson returns to the Dead Lions caucus and finds bees and fresh honey inside. He eats some and even brings some for his parents to eat. At first this blew my mind. If you listen to last week's message, you'll remember that Samson was raised as a Nazirite and part of the Nazirite vow, which is found in number six, is to stay away from dead bodies. That was a clear rule for someone to be set apart for the Lord. And yet Samson touches the dead lion, takes the honey and eats it. It feels reckless, doesn't it? And at first my first impression was that.
Speaker 1:But when I sat with this story longer and it started to mean so much more, the honey represents nourishment, it represents blessing, and even when there are rules, even when you have enemies, even when things seem broken or lifeless, god can still bring something sweet out of it. I love the way this moment reflects how God works, how scripture can meet you in different seasons, you know, for new meanings. Sure, samson broke rules, but God still used that moment to remind us sweet things can still come out of the hard places, even when the enemy's attack, even when the enemy's attack is just really hard. So be encouraged. Even when you're standing in front of what feels like a dead situation, god still is able to bring something sweet out of it. So in the midst of an ugly past situation, you know God is there to pick up the pieces with you and bless you with something sweet if you put your faith and strength in him. So these, you know, those hard temper, mental New York situations were blessings for me. I took it. I took off in my career in retail a few years later and that boldness God blessed me with made me leave retail and enter a new career in tech. I'm so grateful I took that chance and that's all God.
Speaker 1:So Samson's shortfalls and temper wasn't great, but God still used it for a purpose to deliver his people from the Philistines. So more to come next week, god bless. Let's pray. Father, thank you for loving us even when we're messy. Thank you that you see beyond our reactions and weaknesses. Help us to surrender even our anger to you and trust that you can work through every part of our story to fulfill your purpose. Father, we thank you so much for accepting our anger, our frustrations and being able to help us learn from it to become better people. And Father, we love you and we thank you so much for the study of Samson. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:All right, my friends, that is it for this week. God bless, and see you next week for Samson part three, because it just keeps getting better and better. It's like a soap opera. It just continues to put you on the edge of your seat. It's like I have my popcorn. I'm ready to watch this whole drama unfold Till next time. Well, that wraps up this week's episode. I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode. Also, if you feel compelled, leaving a nice review would be so appreciated as well. For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessimorganhomecom or find me on Instagram at jessimorganlife. Remember God's timing is always perfect. Keep trusting him Until next time. This is Jessi Morgan praying off.
