Friday, August 2, 2024
Several years ago at CedarCreek’s middle school camp, I had an amazing encounter with God’s presence. We were singing a powerful song, and the speaker encouraged us to raise our arms in the sign of surrender, to give everything to God. As I lifted my hands in that vulnerable gesture, my mind was filled with the picture of God holding my hands, reaching down from heaven to be near me.
God wants to be close to us, to dwell in our hearts and fill our minds with his Spirit. Yet we often forget about the Holy Spirit. We focus on God the Father and God the Son, but God the Spirit seems abstract and vague. However, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God, to help us through the struggles of life.
Titus 3:6-7
6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
When we welcome Jesus into our hearts, he fills us with the Holy Spirit, who guides us toward God’s plan for our lives. The Spirit is our helper, our friend, our reminder of who God is, and who God says we are. He is the sign that God has freed us from our sins and promised us eternal life with him.
We sometimes expect the Holy Spirit to be a deep emotional experience when the right worship song comes on, like the experience I had at camp. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. We go through life waiting to feel God’s presence, and being disappointed when it doesn’t happen the way we expect.
The lyrics to “Waymaker” by Michael W. Smith say,
Even when I don't see it, You're working
Even when I don't feel it, You're working
You never stop, You never stop working
You never stop, You never stop working
Sometimes I wish I could walk and talk with Jesus like the disciples did. However, the Holy Spirit’s voice points us to our eternity in heaven, toward God’s presence. The Spirit reminds us of Jesus even when we don’t feel connected to him and gives us the confidence to trust that God is always at work, even when we don’t feel or see him.
Questions:
What is your experience with the Holy Spirit? Have you ever felt the presence of God? How do you remind yourself of his nearness when you can’t feel or see him at work?
Next Steps:
Find small ways to remind yourself of God’s presence in your heart. Next time you struggle to sense his presence, play the song Waymaker and remember that God is always with us.
If you haven’t welcomed Jesus into your heart, pray and ask for his presence to fill you.
Prayer:
Father, I cannot wrap my mind around you- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Sometimes I don’t feel or see you at work. I doubt that you are really with me. Please help me trust you no matter what. Fill me with your Spirit and help me experience you today. I love you. Amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Titus 2:14
“He [Jesus] gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.”
Today’s post was written by Lydia Snyder, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.