When Irene blew through on Sunday at 4 am the house appliances suddenly went dead still. As I awakened the only sound was the wind whipping the trees and the rain lashing the windows. Power was gone. Who thinks of the joy of flipping a light switch? Who remembers the pleasure of running water? Our power was restored in 8 hours. Some of my friends are told they will wait 8 days for their electricity to be restored. Our lives demand the continuity of those copper strands that carry the juice to our pumps, refrigerators, stoves, and computers.
A man in the Bible lost power, too. For twenty years, he walked in the power of the Spirit, leading the people of the Lord, doing mighty exploits. Over time, he started to take the power for granted, assuming it would always be there. Increasingly, he walked in selfishness, abusing the call of God and the vows taken for him. Samson laid his head in the lap of a gorgeous pagan woman; captivated by her shining black hair, her dark brown eyes. He knew he should be back in Israel, but the women there just did not seem to share the beauty of the Philistine women. Delilah’s hands caressed Samson’s long hair, the sign of his Nazarite vows that set him in a unique group of men belonging exclusively to the LORD. “Why won’t you tell me the source of your power?” she whined. Finally, he gave in, shared the story of his vows. As he slept she cut off his hair. The next few verses are arresting! "And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house." (Judges 16:20-21, KJV)
“And he wist not that the LORD was departed.” He didn’t know that God had said enough, shut off the power of the Spirit, and withdrew His anointing.
Disciple, are you taking the Spirit’s Presence and power seriously? Have you lived so long in the blessing of the Lord, with the assurance of life, with the ability to pray, that you have become completely unaware of the Spirit who empowers you? Have you grown casual about obedience, lax in prayer, and lazy about the disciplines of the Spirit that allow renewal of your strength? You could one day wake up to silence, alone, drifting beyond the fellowship of the Spirit. As evil approaches you will only then realize that God’s Presence is gone and feel the terror of the ‘fetters of brass’ slapped on your soul as the Devil puts you to work in his terrible prison.
The Scripture urges us to walk near to the Lord, not because we are in terror of being abandoned, but because we love His powerful Presence. "We must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. … what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?" (Hebrews 2:1-4, NLT)
The one who trusts in the LORD, whose heart is renewed in faith everyday, never awakens to silence. He may awaken to the sound of a hurricane of testing and trial. He may walk in the dark of the storm, but he never suddenly feels alone for he loves and follows the One who promised to walk with us.
Here’s a word from the Word. May you find new reason to stay faithful, to walk in the power of the Spirit. "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." (Hebrews 10:35-38, NLT)
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