Day 96/365- Judges 16:20

"Missing Person"

Then she cried out, "Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!"
When he woke up, he thought, "I will do as before and shake myself free." But he didn't realize the Lord had left him. (Judges 16:20 NLT)

Judges' theme is "everyone did what was right in their own eyes." Samson is no exception. God uses him even though he is immoral & imperfect. This by far is his lowest low. He has lied to Delilah up to this point about the source of his strength. She has called the Philistines every time & he still tells her his secret. Samson may be strong, but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Judges is full of sad words but these words about Samson are some of the saddest of the book. "But he didn't realize the Lord had left him." (Judges 16:20 NLT) Here he is, a leader of the people of God & he didn't know the presence of God was no longer with him. If anyone should be able to sense the presence of God you would think it would be his leaders or at least his people. But he does not. He doesn't know that the Lord has left him & humiliation & defeat follows. They pluck his eyes out & make him crush grain. They use him for entertainment. All because he told a woman the secret of his strength!

I fear in my life & in the American church today there is very little awareness of the presence of God. We focus on good music & good preaching & a solid production but does anyone ask if God is present? Or is this just assumed? Of course God is here, it's a worship service isn't it? I think the presence of God is sadly absent from many fellowships claiming to be the church of Jesus. I say claiming because are we really the church if the presence of God is not among us? What's most tragic about this is I wonder if we are like Samson, not knowing the presence of God is even absent. I wonder if we even know that God is hardly among us. We are content to sing songs, here a message, say hello to our neighbors but never be desperate for the presence of God. And so the church goes on without God. What a tragic reality. I'm not saying we shouldn't sing or preach but what we should most long for & pray about is that God would simply be there. That he would be among us & give us himself. This is what the church so desperately needs! Could it be that God is the missing person from his own bride?