Wonder at His Indwelling Presence

God is with us. Whatever you may be going through today, do not forget that truth. I can only imagine what the disciples were thinking when Jesus told them He had to go away. I would have to think they felt abandoned to a certain extent, maybe even rejected. When people walk in and out of your life, it is human nature to feel alone or forsaken. We will search for answers everywhere but where we should. Karl Barth once said, “When we are at our wits’ end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us that answer. But how can He give us an answer when we are still well supplied with all sorts of answers of our own?” In other words, do not rely on yourself, especially when hard times come. Look to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Do not lose heart.

As Christians, we should live fearless; but instead, we agonize over every little detail. The problem is, we cannot always see God’s big picture. We are so focused on what is right in front of us that we forget that He is sovereign in all things. God has seen the beginning and the end. Or in His case, the never beginning and the never ending! Jesus did not leave us to live our Christian lives in our own power. In John 16, Jesus says, “… it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.” What a promise! He is sending the Holy Spirit to us so that we will be comforted. And He is not only coming to bring comfort to a weary soul, but to bring power. The Holy Spirit comes to shatter the thought that we can do it on our own. Let me give you 3 reasons we should wonder at His presence…

1. It was absolutely necessary. Those things that often seem terrible in your lives are actually good for us. Jesus always knows what is best for us though we may not see it at the time. The amazing thing about God is He graciously overrules our foolish decisions because He knows what is good for us. And when I say “good for us,” that doesn’t always line up with the world’s definition of success.

2. We are to carry on Christ’s interests here on earth. He has empowered us to teach. The Holy Spirit will convict or convince the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Matthew Henry says it like this: “He will lay open the wound, and then apply healing medicines.” The Spirit will always help us demonstrate what is right. He is the great teacher. The Holy Spirit is not some supernatural force living in the clouds above us. He comes to us, and through us, He carries out His
ministry in the world.

3. There will be suffering for those who stand up for Christ. Throughout history, Christians have suffered. The religious people who thought they were doing God’s work murdered the early Christians. We would
surely go astray if it were not for the Holy Spirit’s presence in us.

I wonder at the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life. He is always with me -- guiding me and teaching me. I am not always perfectly yielded to Him, but He is faithful. I could not live this Christian life without Him, and Jesus knew that. So let us move forward with passion towards the things of God. Knowing that He is with me, I can endure struggles, times of discouragement, and anything else Satan tries to throw at me.