Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 2:10-14
Insight: The Holy Spirit is often the least understood Person of the Holy Trinity of God. Jesus himself spent much time explaining the role that the Holy Spirit would play in the Disciples lives upon His departure, but even they didn’t really grasp it. They missed the part that Jesus told them about how the Spirit would be the conduit through which God would communicate with them, and how the Spirit would be their compass for knowing how to navigate their life and how they would participate in the building of God’s Eternal Kingdom from the ground floor up. John 16;13 says “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
I think it will be helpful to spend this week trying to understand a few aspects of what Scripture says about the Spirit itself and the many names and roles He plays for believers in Christ. He is called amongst other things Advocate, Counselor, Spirit of Truth, Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit. In the verses above from 1 Corinthians 2:10-14 we see two very interesting things: One is that you cannot understand or interpret the things or words of God unless you have received the Spirit of God. The other is because non-believers do not possess the Spirit of God, which enters into a person at the time of their salvation, or acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior, they cannot understand the things that come from God and in fact consider them to be foolishness. Thus, it reasons that non- believers should not be judged harshly when discussing things of the Lord, because until the time of their salvation, they are lacking the tool, in the form of the Holy Spirit, necessary in order to grasp what you are even talking about. That is why 1 Peter 3:15 says “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Non-believers will be able to notice the hope and peace that accompanies the indwelling of the Holy Spirit living in you, and will want to learn more about where that hope and peace comes from, and so it’s imperative for believers to share their testimony in an authentic and non-overbearing way. That is our chance to work in other people’s lives so that they themselves will be inquisitive just like we were before we first believed. The Spirit in you will draw others to Christ through your outward displays of the Fruits of the Spirit. This is but one of the amazing mysteries of how the Holy Spirit can work in us to grow the Kingdom of God.
Prayer: Father God, thank you that you gave us who believe the Holy Spirit to indwell us, and to teach us how to discern the things of your kingdom. We know when Jesus walked on this planet, He was limited by the same time and space constraints that restrict us mere mortals. But because He sent us the Holy Spirit, He is now Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent, guiding all believers, at all times, and in all places with all power and wisdom, so that we can play our small part in the Eternal Tapestry You are weaving. Amen!
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