Spirit of his Son

 

 

I sat here this evening for time with Gods Word, specifically to practice the presence of God as I have been hearing about from various sources for several weeks. I harbored no idea of what that would 'look like'.  I began to read scripture, then stopped after this one verse.

 

Galatians 4:6
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

As you know, there are several titles for the Holy Spirit that are very familiar to me,  they are names, and evidences that we are accustomed to: The promised Holy Spirit, The Counselor, Teacher.  But this description, 'Spirit of his Son', stood out to me. I pondered that.  What followed in my time of devotions tonight, I want to share.

I know this may be a bit juvenile, but as all matter exists in one of three ‘forms’, solid, liquid, vapor, I have found it helpful sometimes to think of God like this. The Holy Spirit represented by ’vapor’ flowing, filling vessels, taking their form for His dwelling or the fragrance in the breath of praise, and so on.

But for some reason, when I read …”The Spirit of his Son”…Spirit of his Son  in  our hearts, I was a little bit shocked.  WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?
Such a precious, expensive, costly gift.  What Power poured into such weakness! What glorious majesty living in such a humble clay pot!
“God, help me to comprehend what that means.!”

I know, there are doctrines, and verses and snippets of sermons in my mind. The knowledge is there. God is Gracious and Merciful to me, and gives me Faith to believe what I read in His Word, but… 

"God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts!"

I sat and pondered this for a few moments

My mind, (as it is wont to do quite often), wondered to a room in the Assisted Living Home in New Brunswick, Canada. I can see in my mind my parents lying there asleep. I easily envision them, but wait, is Mom up and wondering around, in Alzheimer's confusion, tidying up and putting away things where they may never be found again? Is she filled with one of those awful waves of anger that come over her unbidden as the disease progresses through her brain? Are they remembering each other? Is Mommy afraid to get back in that bed with that strange man? Is Daddy reaching out to his bride of 64 years, reassuring her that he is indeed her Gordie?

Oh God I begin to cry, “lay your peace around them!”    And I turn to prayer, with hands outstretched toward My Father for these His children. I imagine an angel by the bed, then I imagine Gods hands around them, and peace replaces my anxiety.

I turn to praising God.

  Almost without a conscious effort I am worshiping Him, and together, it is as if I move in flight, I sprinkle faith and love, to each member of the family and others that come to my attention. I am conscious of not being alone, of course I am not, for how can I a mere human, even imaging this kind of ministry.

 I am Not alone….I am humbled, yet happy and I am surrounded by warmth and a most mellow Peace.

  Even when my attention is directed to a little crack house where exist souls I love and weep for, even there….most powerfully there, Faith, Love, Forgiveness, The Sprinkled Blood of Jesus, plainly do the work that I long for and cry in anguish for on other occasions. Tonight, the work of prayer was done peacefully. And my soul felt satisfied that blessing was directed to those I prayed for.

 

 Romans 8:26

 American King James Version
Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered

Weymouth New Testament

"In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what prayers to offer nor in what way to offer them. But the Spirit Himself pleads for us in yearnings that can find no words,"

 

  and once again I had no requests, just worship and adoration and thankfulness.

After some time I returned to reading.

I was using my laptop tonight and as began to read again the scripture for the day, my eyes went to the cross references.

Now, those of you who know me best know that I have felt that the ‘locust have eaten’ many of our last 40 years; that the journey, for several reasons has been a wilderness, and as we work through the effects of the wilderness experiences we often ask “Why?” This is never far from my heart especially when my mind goes to my children and grand children


 

Well, the Holy Spirit used this time tonight to pour out a Double Blessing on me. Through that wonderful time in the Presence of God, this mounting up with wings;  not only was there ministry to others through the power of prayer, but to my heart as well.
That amazes me,

And this amazes me:

 there in the margin of today’s devotional these Words catch my eye:

“…in the wilderness these forty years…”

 

I felt a tug at my heart, then I skimmed the verse, a little surprised that it was listed as cross reference for the main verse. I have heard it before many times of course, but tonight it was a message for me. My Rhema.

I read the passages as a whole as they were written there in the Daily Studies http://biblehub.com/

 

John 13:7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter."

 

Deuteronomy 8:2 "You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

Ezekiel 16:8 "Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine," declares the Lord GOD.

Hebrews 12:6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

1 Peter 4:12,13 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; • but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

2 Corinthians 4:17,18 " For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, • while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

And that, my friend, was Gods gift to me during time of devotion tonight. Isn’t God good!