This may be one of the saddest verses in the story of Samson's life. I wonder how he must have felt when he realized that the Spirit, whose presence he has taken for granted all his life, was no longer with him. I would imagine that it would be a dose of reality, somewhat of a shock, and maybe a sense of loss.
But, as often is the case with God, we are given a hint of hope in vs 22, that the Spirit might return as Samson's hair begins to grow back. At the end, Samson is able to kill more Philistines "when he died than while he lived" (vs 30b); and his prayer to the Sovereign LORD may reveal that his relationship to God may have grown and developed some, during his time of blindness in prison; although, he seemed to still carry around his vengeful spirit (vs 28).
In our lives, we negatively affect our relationship with God when we sin; and as we hide from God's holy presence, we may feel furthest away from HIM. From the story of Samson's life, we can learn that it is important to be committed to being set apart for HIM staying away from temptation, to seek His Plan, and to allow Him to use us most effectively not wasting the abilities and gifts He has given to us.
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