Last Wednesday night, some of my squad mates joined me in a conversation about the Holy Spirit. We didn’t know if we should ask him for prophecies, spiritual gifts, or healing. We felt that if we did these things we would be testing the Lord. We had witnessed these things at camp but weren’t sure if we actually believed them. We went to bed confused and asking God for answers.
The next morning, I awoke and walked to our breakfast table. My two friends, Courtney and Courtney, were reading random chapters out of the Bible. They asked me if I wanted to join. Courtney picked Isaiah for the book. The number 7 popped into my head so I picked chapter 7.
Isaiah 7: 10-14 “”Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or the highest heights.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.””
After reading this, we were completely shocked. God knew that we needed an answer and was providing us with one. He knows us all so perfectly! He gives us full permission to test Him and trust Him.
Earlier in the week, we asked the Holy Spirit to come down and give us individual spiritual gifts. I prayed that the Lord would not give me the gift of tongues. It just freaked me out. However, the night after God revealed the passage out of Isaiah to us we were worshipping together. I wanted to worship the Lord more intimately so I asked him to take away my fears and to give me the ability to speak in tongues. My tongue started bouncing around my mouth uncontrollably and there were slight hums that were audible. However, it wasn’t scary. I felt like I was worshipping my God in a way that shut us off from the rest of the world. It was so inclusive and intimate. It was also quiet and not attention grabbing. Finally, the tongues subsided and I got on my knees and wept. I stood up and knew that I had to tell my story to the other people at Training Camp. It felt like I couldn’t breathe if I didn’t tell everyone right then. I asked the speaker for the microphone and began telling my story. The words that I spoke to the crowd were not my own. I can confidently say that it was the Holy Spirit speaking through me. I recommitted my life to Christ that night because I finally knew that He is what He says He is. God is good.
