You know how before Jesus was born there was 400 years of silence?
No one heard from God- not through a prophet, a voice in the night, nothing. There was silence. The last recorded word in the Bible before The Baby was born is “And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction” (Malachi 4:6).
Destruction. Yikes. That’s it folks. That’s what ends the Old Testament. Then 400 years of just going along with life.
Then it happens. Jesus is born. He lives a life of truth and love, healing, and compassion. He Himself is peace in the midst of strife on earth. He is killed. Brutally murdered. Terribly beaten. Dead.
Then He comes back from the dead (this makes this God quite different). He walks the earth and appears to His disciples. He charges them to “go and make other disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
Hold up, Jesus. The Holy Spirit? Who is this Spirit and why is He holy?
OH MY GOSH!!!!! I love Him!!! The Holy Spirit is like the fuzziest of fleece blankets. He is like the wisest of old men with fresh coffee breath. He is like the funniest of children who say the darndest things. Holy Spirit is more satisfying than the gooiest of brownie sundaes with extra fudge, melty chocolate chips, etc. (I love hot fudge brownie sundaes).
A dude named John wrote this book back in like AD 85-95 called the Gospel of John. It’s the fourth book in the New Testament of the Bible. John recorded this for us:
Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is set apart and yet, because of Jesus, we get to know Him.
So what’s my point here? Well, much of life is spent waiting. Waiting for a spouse, waiting for a raise, waiting for a child to come home, waiting for your pasta to cook, waiting for the light to turn green, waiting for the laundry to finish so you can go to bed and wait around the next day.
The last word of the New Testament, and what closes the Bible is this: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Revelation 22:21). Amen means ‘so be it’. God’s last word to us is simply that. BUT! Because of the Holy Spirit, we don’t end on just an ‘amen’ until Jesus comes again. We don’t have silence in the waiting.
Because of the Holy Spirit, in this waiting, this life, we get to relate and interact with God every single moment if we choose. The God I know is patient, compassionate, grace-filled, hilarious, loving, fun, and kind. He is love. Knowing Him and listening for His voice is my being’s greatest pleasure.
Until I meet Him face to face, I am not aimlessly wandering. I am not pursuing the latest trend or fad. I am guided by the Helper, my Friend, the Holy Spirit.
You know how before Jesus was born there was 400 years of silence? This silence is now not the case. You have an Advocate. You have a Teacher. You have a Friend. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
How do you listen for the Holy Spirit in the waiting or walking you are in?
