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Discerning The Spirits
I still white-knuckle it when I recall fishing in Alaska with my friends. It was one of those picture-perfect days, and the guide found great spots for us to flyfish from the shore. When it got slow, we would move on to other spots, making our way down the churning white water. To balance the weight, one of my friends sat in the back of the boat with the guide, and since I was lighter, I was positioned sitting up front.
We caught some strong currents and swirling water, and the boat bounced around rocks, dipping up and down with the rapids. Suddenly, the boat lurched, the bow dropped, and then, with weight in the back, I sprang up and was thrown out of the boat into the icy water.
What I remember of shooting down the rapids was not only the fear of being helpless but the greater fear of my head being squashed by a rock as my clumsy fishing waders filled with water and pulled me down. After what seemed like an eternity, in a minute, I was lifted by my wader belt by a friend in the front boat who had witnessed the accident and who came to my rescue.
Not knowing about hypothermia, I was shivering and in shock as they pulled me to shore, put me in dry clothes, and quickly built a fire. Following the fear, I experienced peace.
Recall Jesus' first words to His fearful disciples on the evening of His resurrection:
John 20:19 – When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." (NRSV)
Take a moment and pause with the word fear. Identify a time when the spirit of fear held you locked behind closed doors. "Peace be with you." Peace is a beautiful word. Add to it the peace of God. In Philippians 4:7, Paul reminds us that the peace of God "surpasses all understanding". This is so because it requires faith. Faith in the risen Lord surpasses understanding and informs our knowledge to discern the spirits, bringing light into darkness, life into death.
Prior to unlocking the door and leaving the upper room, Jesus "breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:22b NRSV)
We are in the season following Pentecost, and it is the Holy Spirit who "will guide you into all the truth" (John 16:13b NRSV) by discerning the spirits. Fear stops us. Fear is strong but it is destructive. Faith is stronger and productive. Let us receive the Holy Spirit, and He will produce our life in Christ — now and forevermore.
Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, come. Help us, we pray, in our weakness. There are times when we are caught by the spirit of fear and know not how to pray. Yet, we know that You will intercede, especially when our sighs are too deep for words. Help us to discern all things working together for good as we ask You to come, Holy Spirit. Come! Amen.
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By I still white-knuckle it when I recall fishing in Alaska with my friends. It was one of those picture-perfect days, and the guide found great spots for us to flyfish from the shore. When it got slow, we would move on to other spots, making our way down the churning white water. To balance the weight, one of my friends sat in the back of the boat with the guide, and since I was lighter, I was positioned sitting up front.
We caught some strong currents and swirling water, and the boat bounced around rocks, dipping up and down with the rapids. Suddenly, the boat lurched, the bow dropped, and then, with weight in the back, I sprang up and was thrown out of the boat into the icy water.
What I remember of shooting down the rapids was not only the fear of being helpless but the greater fear of my head being squashed by a rock as my clumsy fishing waders filled with water and pulled me down. After what seemed like an eternity, in a minute, I was lifted by my wader belt by a friend in the front boat who had witnessed the accident and who came to my rescue.
Not knowing about hypothermia, I was shivering and in shock as they pulled me to shore, put me in dry clothes, and quickly built a fire. Following the fear, I experienced peace.
Recall Jesus' first words to His fearful disciples on the evening of His resurrection:
John 20:19 – When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." (NRSV)
Take a moment and pause with the word fear. Identify a time when the spirit of fear held you locked behind closed doors. "Peace be with you." Peace is a beautiful word. Add to it the peace of God. In Philippians 4:7, Paul reminds us that the peace of God "surpasses all understanding". This is so because it requires faith. Faith in the risen Lord surpasses understanding and informs our knowledge to discern the spirits, bringing light into darkness, life into death.
Prior to unlocking the door and leaving the upper room, Jesus "breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:22b NRSV)
We are in the season following Pentecost, and it is the Holy Spirit who "will guide you into all the truth" (John 16:13b NRSV) by discerning the spirits. Fear stops us. Fear is strong but it is destructive. Faith is stronger and productive. Let us receive the Holy Spirit, and He will produce our life in Christ — now and forevermore.
Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, come. Help us, we pray, in our weakness. There are times when we are caught by the spirit of fear and know not how to pray. Yet, we know that You will intercede, especially when our sighs are too deep for words. Help us to discern all things working together for good as we ask You to come, Holy Spirit. Come! Amen.