Dear Ones:
We find mention the Spirit of God from the very beginning of Scripture: “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:2) We find Him mentioned at the end of the book of the Revelation: “And the Spirit and bride say, come.” (Rev. 22:17) Why is He so very important? And why MUST we consider Him?
We know that the Father sits on the throne of heaven, with the Son seated at His right hand. And we find that the Spirit of God is everywhere working, and accomplishing the sovereign will of God IN heaven, as well as on the earth. He IS that One who is the means accomplishing the purposes of God. Angels have specific missions, and are limited in those missions. Because the Spirit of God IS GOD the Holy Spirit, He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent….all-knowing, present everywhere, and all-powerful. How does this relate to us? The answer is very simple. God works BY the Spirit, in creation, and in redemption, in the hearts and lives of men. He is not a “force” but a Person, and He has been given to all men that they might be saved, and that by Him, they might realize the reason for which they have been created, and brought into conformity with that purpose.
How can we understand the Spirit? How can have something a vision of Him, in order to trust God for His work in and though us? One way is by “pictures” in Scripture. We find that His special coming at Pentecost was accompanied by the noise of a rushing, mighty wind. We find at the same occasion that “tongues of FIRE” were upon all of the disciples, all who were assembled in the upper room that day. Jesus would speak of the Spirit of God being a “well of water” within us. He would speak of “rivers of living water” given to us, dwelling in us, and potentially manifesting His life through us in a quiet, but powerful way. In the Old Testament, we find a picture of what is called the “former rain” given moderately…and then the “latter rain.” This refers to actual rain, but when you look at the context and where the physical blessing is leading to, you come to where the Spirit is poured out upon all flesh. (Joel 2:23, 28) There is a physical picture of a spiritual blessing. Lastly, we come again to the matter of a river…powerful and life-giving. The psalmist declares: “…There is a river, the streams where of shall make glad the city of God…God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.” (Ps. 46:4-5) In all of these pictures we see the Spirit of God BEING something to men, and WORKING with men. This leads us to the question: Why is this knowledge important to me, and this, today?
God gave to Israel, through writings of Isaiah, a picture of what He wanted to be to her, and what He wanted to do for her. Isaiah wrote: “Thus said the Lord that made thee…I will pour water on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.” (Is. 44:2-3) The knowledge of the Spirit, in His power and tenderness, is given to us that we might BELIEVE God according to His promise. The question is, will we truly believe Him? Will we truly receive Him? And will we believe Him for His fullness? In answer to these questions, we need to listen to what Wesley wrote in one of his great hymns: “I can, I do, believe in Thee; all things are possible to me.”
Father, grant us a clear understanding of who the Spirit of God is. And open our eyes to see what Thou hast declared Him to be to us. With this vision, grant us grace to believe Thy Son by the Spirit, receiving Him in His fullness. Do Thou quench our thirst for Thyself by filling us with the Spirit of Thy Son…for Thy glory and honor. Accomplish in and through us all of Thy blessed and wonderful purposes by Thy Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Love, Dad