Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man: A Daily Devotional

by Walter A. Henrichsen

AUGUST 2 Day 215 The Spirit Departed “And she said, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ And he awoke from his sleep, and said, ‘I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.’ And he did not know that the Lord had left him.” Judges 16:20 When the Holy Spirit leaves, He does not announce His departure. God endowed Samson, a judge in Israel, with supernatural power. He was secure in his relationship with God and so sure of himself that he thought he could compromise without paying a price. Delilah enticed him into telling her the secret of his strength, and when he went out to engage the enemy as at other times, he supposed nothing had changed. The Spirit had departed and Samson did not even know it, like a ship crossing the sea thinking that her cargo is safely stored below, unaware that there was no cargo. You can find other biblical illustrations of this, like the Spirit departing the nation of Israel. Our Savior said, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.”1 You are never so secure in your relationship with God that you can afford to neglect His will. The more God prospers you the greater your tendency to feel blessed by Him and in turn, the more you will be tempted to believe you can take license with His commands. Remaining prosperous, with all of the accruements of success, and assured that God favors you, the Spirit will depart, as He did with Samson, and you probably will n...