“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
When is the last time you had an encounter with God? I don’t mean the last time you read the Bible or even said a prayer. When have you actually felt like the Holy Spirit was present with you, ministering or revealing new insight? I know to some this may sound sketchy or mystical, but it’s actually scriptural. If we are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is within us, guiding, teaching, and comforting us. But we must be still long enough to receive these things. When we read a Bible passage, we must be still for a time, quietly pondering what we’ve read. It’s amazing how God can use what we think of as unimportant verses to speak to a situation in which we find ourselves. When we pray, we must pause for a bit to simply think. Is there a verse coming to mind- maybe even just a vague memory of one part of a verse? Look it up. Google it. How does it apply to you?
Though these things may be a little more difficult than just reading and uttering a rote prayer, they are necessary… more necessary than anything else going on in life right now.
I have to remind myself often of this. That thing I told my friend I’d help her with; that baby shower I volunteered to head up; that play date with some friends; yes, even that Bible study I joined- none of them are as important as actively seeking a word from the Lord. If I head into these things without a recent direction from God, then I’m serving no eternal purpose in my activities. I’m desperately trying to produce some decent fruit, trying to be loving, patient, and gentle. But since these things do not come naturally to me, there’s an edginess to my efforts that other people can sense. I won’t be able to show the love of Jesus to anyone, least of all my family (who always get the full effect). And shouldn’t that be my purpose in all I undertake- to glorify God and point others to Him?
Think about Thanksgiving. No matter how much you eat at lunch, you’re going to eat dinner, too. Okay, maybe that’s just me, but you get my point. We can eat a feast at one meal, but we will still have to eat again before another day passes. No one expects to skip a few days of eating and still function effectively. It’s the same with an encounter with God. And when we don’t instantly get a word from Him, what do we do- give up? Or do we search for it like we would search the pantry for that last piece of chocolate in the house?
Our bodies give us signals when it’s time to eat. Even if we don’t feel hungry, sometimes we get shaky, light-headed, or weak. We instinctively know what the problem is and seek out food. My prayer is that even when I forget to spend time with God, I will quickly recognize the symptoms of distance from Him and stop everything to remedy the problem.
Father, thank You for granting us Your Spirit to live within us. I pray we never take this unbelievable privilege for granted. Help us to abide with You, conversing with You daily that we may live on new encounters with You. May we know the abundance of life which comes from fellowship with You and not be satisfied with anything less. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.