"And the Spirit of the LORD came upon [Samson] mightily... Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon [Samson] mightily... And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily... But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him... Then Samson called to the LORD and said, 'O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God...
Samson is a tragic figure. Full of personality and potential, he squandered the very Presence and Power that makes the difference between a "star" and a "saint". We have a lot of "Christian stars" these days, full of personality; gifted, educated and driven, but in our desperate desire to find and foster "stars" we have neglected the power of true saints. Samson, unlike Gideon, knew the Spirit of God from the outside instead inside. In the Hebrew language, the words, "came upon", in the phrase "the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon" (Judges 6:34), are different than the words "came upon" in the phrase "And the Spirit of the LORD came upon [Samson]" (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14). With Gideon, there was the infilling; Literally, "So the Spirit of the LORD clothed Himself with Gideon," putting Gideon on like a garment. With Samson, there was an empowering; Literally, "The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him," using him for a given moment. God will often do this, "rush upon us", to accomplish His purpose in spite of us. And like Samson, these people often take on notoriety, telling about their moments, but so many know little of a true and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. How much better to have God's Spirit indwell us, to appreciate His Presence inside of us, making a difference not just in certain moments, but moment by moment, every day. This is the difference between "saints" and "stars" in the Christian world. As Christians, all have the Spirit of God, but not all have known the "infilling" that changes one from self-serving to true servants of God. We've confused the two, infilling and empowerment, thinking both the same. They're not! Usually, it's the pressure that tells. Tragically, the Samsons of the Christian world, when "afflicted", do not know that the LORD has departed from them (Judges 16:20). Their prayers take on a note of desperation under pressure, praying, as Samson, "O Lord God (LORD), please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God..." (16:28). Though God mercifully helped him, that's a sad commentary on a life that trifled with the serous things of God. Samson should not be our prototype of the Christian life. Certainly, the Spirit of God is an empowering presence, but much more precious and promising is His infilling presence. Seek His infilling!
Samson is a tragic figure. Full of personality and potential, he squandered the very Presence and Power that makes the difference between a "star" and a "saint". We have a lot of "Christian stars" these days, full of personality; gifted, educated and driven, but in our desperate desire to find and foster "stars" we have neglected the power of true saints. Samson, unlike Gideon, knew the Spirit of God from the outside instead inside. In the Hebrew language, the words, "came upon", in the phrase "the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon" (Judges 6:34), are different than the words "came upon" in the phrase "And the Spirit of the LORD came upon [Samson]" (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14). With Gideon, there was the infilling; Literally, "So the Spirit of the LORD clothed Himself with Gideon," putting Gideon on like a garment. With Samson, there was an empowering; Literally, "The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him," using him for a given moment. God will often do this, "rush upon us", to accomplish His purpose in spite of us. And like Samson, these people often take on notoriety, telling about their moments, but so many know little of a true and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. How much better to have God's Spirit indwell us, to appreciate His Presence inside of us, making a difference not just in certain moments, but moment by moment, every day. This is the difference between "saints" and "stars" in the Christian world. As Christians, all have the Spirit of God, but not all have known the "infilling" that changes one from self-serving to true servants of God. We've confused the two, infilling and empowerment, thinking both the same. They're not! Usually, it's the pressure that tells. Tragically, the Samsons of the Christian world, when "afflicted", do not know that the LORD has departed from them (Judges 16:20). Their prayers take on a note of desperation under pressure, praying, as Samson, "O Lord God (LORD), please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God..." (16:28). Though God mercifully helped him, that's a sad commentary on a life that trifled with the serous things of God. Samson should not be our prototype of the Christian life. Certainly, the Spirit of God is an empowering presence, but much more precious and promising is His infilling presence. Seek His infilling!
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