Hey, did any of you see the wind on Wednesday and Thursday? No, I’m not asking if you felt the wind or heard the wind; did you see the wind? Well, of course, we don’t see the wind; we only see the effects of the wind. And yes, the harder the wind blows, the greater the effect on our surroundings.
The fact that I noticed many green leaves on my lawn is evidence that it was really windy. The fact that I noticed a couple of people that were walking at a slant was evidence it was really windy. The fact I had trouble keeping my toupee on was certainly an indication that it was windy. And although I don’t have verifiable evidence, I also heard report from a farmer who said it was so windy, he saw a chicken lay the same egg three times in a row. If a chicken has to lay the same egg three times in a row, you know it’s windy!
The wind also reminded me of something Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:5-8, “5 “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
And like the physical, the same is true of the spiritual. You can’t see the Holy Spirit, but you can feel and hear and see the effects of the Holy Spirit at work in your life. When we respond by faith to the stirring of the Holy Spirit as he helps us see our need for a Savior, our spirit comes alive to the Spirit of God. Our fear and sadness and sense of hopelessness are immediately replaced with peace and joy and hope.
You and I can also see the effects of the Holy Spirit at work in a person’s life as they begin more and more to reflect the image of God. The more we allow the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow in our life, the more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will be displayed through our lives.
Verifiable evidence of a person who is really surrendered to the moving of the Holy Spirit is that they begin to witness with boldness. The person who is keeping in step with the Spirit is swift to forgive and responds with immediate trust and obedience. When the Holy Spirit has control of a person, they will be quick and confident to ask God to do the supernatural in any given situation.
So how about it, even though you never know where the Holy Spirit will lead you, do you trust him enough to surrender your life to him? Are you experiencing the abundant life of being born again? Have you been hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit as he leads you into all truth? May it be said of all us that a watching world can clearly see the sanctifying and empowering work as the Holy Spirit moves in our lives.
Grace and peace, Mike
Oh yes, one more thing to consider, in Matthew 14:30 it says that Peter was walking towards Jesus on the water until“he saw the wind.” Do you think Peter actually saw the wind?