A. Holy Spirit

From the day Adam was created thousands of years ago, God has had a personal relationship with specific men and women.  Adam & Eve, Job, Abraham, Isaac & Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David (even as a shepherd boy in the fields), and the prophets are some examples recorded in Scripture of men and women actually talking back and forth with God!

In Judges, God began something a little different, starting with Gideon (Judges 3:10) and continuing with Jephthah (Judges 11:29), Samson (Judges 13:25; 14;19; 14:6; 15:14), King Saul (1 Samuel 10:10; 11:6), King David (1 Samuel 16:13), and others.  In each of the above Scriptures, God's Word tells us:  The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and sometimes it adds "mightily" upon.  However, this special Holy Spirit indwelling was different from how the Holy Spirit indwells believers today.  Then, it was for a very specific work, and usually wasn't permanent (except with David), coming with each need and then departing.  With Saul, it was taken away forever when he continued to disobey God.    

Even though David was given the Spirit permanently, he was still afraid, after he sinned with Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11), that God would remove His Holy Spirit.  Listen to David's fear:  cast me not away from Your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me... (Psalm 51:11).    

Around 33 AD, everything changed when Genesis 3:15 was fulfilled.  At that time, Christ took ALL our penalty for ALL our sin - past, present, and future - so the Holy Spirit can now live inside us every day, every hour.   

Just recently, the Lord gave me a song about the above, part of which follows...

 2000* years ago, as You hung on a cross,
The Father gathered all my guilt, and You took it in.
And condemnation poured through holy veins that had known no sin.
The Father turned His back, and groaned in agony.
And it crushed You down to death, and they laid You in the tomb.
And hope died in Jerusalem, when they laid You in the tomb.

But then...  You.. ROSE AGAIN!
And LEFT MY GUILT IN THE GRAVE...  Forever...  Forever...  Forever."

Our Lord's death (for our sin) and resurrection, cleared the way for a permanent relationship with God ...  so that the Holy Spirit in believer's hearts would NEVER be taken away (1 John 14:16-17)!

Today,  when we're struggling or discouraged, tired, afraid, losing hope...  we don't have to wait for the Lord to "come down to the garden" to talk with us.  Nor do we have to be concerned that He will leave us, like Saul, because of "one more sin, that broke the bank of His grace".  Today, He walks with us all the time, inside of us, quietly, waiting for us to acknowledge His Presence, waiting for us let Him carry our pain.