The accounts of Samson and Ruth are perfect examples of how God uses the most unlikely people to accomplish His plan. Samson was a Judge of Israel who was given amazing strength by God. He was a Nazarite who was supposed to let his hair grow long to show his complete commitment to the Lord. However, even though his physical gifts were from God, Samson struggled to keep his heart focused on Him. Samson’s story warns us against playing with temptation but it is also a story of redemption.

In contrast to the account of Samson, we have Ruth. Ruth is an unlikely heroine because, even though she was a virtuous woman, she comes from outside the chosen people of God. She was a Moabite, a people who had been enemies of Israel from the earliest days. Nonetheless, God still used her in His plan by making her King David’s great-grandmother and, more importantly, one of Jesus’ ancestors. In her we see that God’s plan is to save all nations.

Both Samson and Ruth show us that God can use us for His purposes no matter where we come from or what our past has been. The defining factor is never how great we are but how great is the God that is working through us.