The electric went out this morning…and all of us were immediately aware of its absence. The computer screen went blank; the fish filter went silent. We took notice. Can you imagine if our spiritual walk was that tuned in?
As believers, the Holy Spirit is our power source. We can do nothing without Him:
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
Yet, the honest truth is that we don’t always notice when He has withdrawn. How can that be?
Without the computer, my writing, research and communication options were greatly curtailed, so I opted for a walk with my dog. He doesn’t rely on electricity–he relies on me. But more on that later. The impact of the electric outage was evident everywhere. Business people stood in groups chatting, obviously waiting for power to return. The post office customers headed for their cars. Traffic moved cautiously at the intersection. Life went on…with slightly altered priorities and a bit more effort.
Even though everyone likely took the presence of electricity for granted in the moments before it shut off, its absence was immediately noticed. What we rely on isn’t always recognized in the day-to-day…but when we rely on something, its lack pulls us up short. In the spiritual realm, this is truly a matter of life and death. We don’t want to wait until the Spirit is absent–because the Spirit IS life. We are to take that Life into this broken world; we can’t do that if we aren’t connected!
‘Get ‘er done’ is a way of life that disguises truth…and it can be deadly. Humanly speaking, we can accomplish some pretty impressive things. Human beings are amazing creatures…God’s favorite creation according to His account. The problem is that we tend to rely on ourselves and don’t even notice what we are doing.
It isn’t until we are feeling under the weather, that we recognize how much we rely on our health. Not until we need to move a heavy object, do we notice our muscles (or the lack thereof). Our minds have incredible power and potential as well: electricity is one magnificent result of intellectual ability. Medical science is another. Truly great things come out of pure human ability.
But in the matter of life and death, we come face-to-face with our limitations–and the reality that all we have comes from God, the Giver of Life:
“…He (God) Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things…” Acts 17:25b
We have plans, programs and projects that we use to measure our success. That is not God’s plan.
He designed us to be God-directed, Spirit-controlled. Failing to live that way creates dis-unity, ill-health and ultimately death. His Spirit desires to speak into our spirit.
I am to rely on that communication channel like my dog relies on me!
Deliberately trusting in the Holy Spirit is a necessity that requires the investment of our time: attentiveness dies on the altar of busy-ness. The beauty of disruptions to daily life is that they cause us to notice where our trust really lies. I rejoice that this disruption today refocused my eyes on trusting the Spirit for direction! My prayer is that it does the same for you!
Our body, mind and emotions are simply antennae that help us hear the world. Our decisions are not to come from those things. 
It is our spirit tuned into His Spirit that provides direction! In the midst of the noise of life is the quiet voice of the Lord…the Prince of Peace.
He does direct those who listen to Him…He shows which way He desires us to go. Our challenge is to receive His wisdom with quiet confidence in His goodness.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17
That really shouldn’t be that big of a challenge except for this truth: we are more accustomed to trusting in ourselves than in the King of Kings. Stated openly, the foolishness is obvious. With the truth unveiled, let’s decide to choose the Living Truth, Life Himself!
Heartsong Ministries 