During the wilderness wanderings there came a wonderful moment.  God had instructed Moses to build a tabernacle in which he would dwell.  Once the project was complete, the majestic cloud, which had hovered above them, descended from on high and entered the holy place.  From that moment on every child of Israel could point to the tabernacle and say, “God is in there.”

Gesture to your heart and say, “God is in here.”  On the day you decided to follow Jesus, an unseen miracle occurred.  The Holy Spirit descended from the heavens, ever spinning until the moment the motion stopped directly over your body.  He took up residence within you.  He turned your heart into his tabernacle.  “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV).

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Why do we at times fail to detect the Holy Spirit? How can we be led by him? Here is a direct answer: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).

God’s voice must outrank the voices of society. God wants us to be different. Not odd. Not peculiar. Our aim is not to blend in but to look up. If you want to hear from God, the first question you need to ask is not “What should I do?” but “Whom will I hear?”

Stop following a culture that doesn’t follow God and…start listening for the Spirit, who speaks on behalf of God.

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In a furiously fast turn of events, Pharaoh set the Hebrew people free. Centuries of slavery in Egypt were behind them; a new future was ahead of them. The promised land beckoned. Yet on their own they stood no chance of survival. For that reason, “The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire” (Exodus 13:21 NIV).

Can you imagine the blessing of this divine GPS? On any given day God told them where to go. We can thank Isaiah the prophet for telling us the name of the force within the cloud and fire. “Who is he who set his Holy Spirit among them…” (Isaiah 63:11 NIV).

Who led the ex-slaves through the wilderness? The Holy Spirit. Who leads the children of God today? The Holy Spirit!

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This is the age of much know-how and very little know-why.  The invisible enemy of sin and secularism has left us dazed and bewildered.  In the midst of the wreckage sits God’s intended rescue center, the church.  We each have responsibilities, and when we work together, the displaced find a place.  And, behind it all, overseeing the operation is the Holy Spirit.

And he does this through the distribution of gifts.  “…All [spiritual gifts] are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11 NIV).

The Holy Spirit is the ultimate gift giver.  He garnishes his children with supernatural abilities that glorify God, bless the needy, and edify the church.  Would it not be a tragedy to miss out on your unique-to-you assignment?

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According to God’s plan life is a series of decisions. Do I move or stay? Hold on or let go? Tie the knot or not? Small decisions. Large decisions. Decisions everywhere! We make our choices, and they make us. Consequently, decision-making saps energy and creates anxiety. What if I make the wrong choice?

So what can we do? Given the weightiness of choices, how can we make good ones? You will be encouraged by the promise of Scripture. We can be led by the Holy Spirit: “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3 ESV). God, our Good Shepherd, doesn’t just feed us; he leads us. He does more than correct us; he directs us. He keeps us on the right track. He has commissioned the Holy Spirit to guide us down the winding roads of life.

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“Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God…Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose” (Acts 16:25-26 MSG).

Authorities beat Paul and Silas with rods. Soldiers then imprisoned them in the deepest part of the prison where it was damp, cold, and rat-infested. Their feet were put in stocks. There they lay all afternoon and into the night, with no local advocates, their backs open to infection, surrounded by darkness, and shivering from the cold. Oh, to have heard that midnight song!

Paul and Silas were not sure of their deliverance, but they were sure of their deliverer. You can be too. Rather than panic, you can choose to praise.

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Our stress-laden society has developed many skills for dealing with anxiety. We have breathing exercises and mediation techniques. But the person in whom the Spirit dwells has the greatest of resources. The apostle Paul said, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18-19 NIV).

The apostle contrasts two strategies for facing inner chaos: inebriation and celebration. Many people numb themselves, if not with liquor, with bouts of shopping or hours of playing. The better option: celebration. Constant worship clears the debris from our hearts. Praise is the cleansing element that flushes the trash of worry and anxiety.

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“When He had been baptized, Jesus…saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him” (Matthew 3:16 NKJV).

The Holy Spirit is depicted in many different forms in Scripture, but here at the coronation of Christ, the Spirit chose to descend gently as a dove. Why? Part of the answer might lie in the maternal tenderness of the Holy Spirit. In biblical times the dove was a feminine symbol, and the Hebrew word for spirit was feminine.

There are occasions when we need a father’s strength, and God, our Father, provides it. There are occasions when we need the friendship of a brother, and Jesus, our spiritual sibling, offers it. Yet there are many times in which our spirits are troubled and anxious. We long for the tranquil assurance of a loving mother. For this we turn to the Holy Spirit.

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Anxiety. The emotion is not a sign of weakness, immaturity, or demon possession. It is simply the result of living in a fast-changing, challenging world. Anxiety is not a sign of weakness, but anxiety does weaken us. Yet help is here.  The Holy Spirit is the calming presence of God in the world today.

His first act in earthly history was to turn chaos into calm. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2 NKJV). The inaugural activity of the Holy Spirit was to hover over a frenzied world. Before God created the world, the Spirit of God calmed the world.

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Why do you need to know that you are adopted by the Father and sealed by the Spirit? Simple—there is power in assurance.

A young college graduate requested that I pray for her to be accepted into law school. Each time we talked, she seemed increasingly anxious. The unknown future unsettled her. But then came the acceptance letter. She called me with the great news. Her thoughts were positive; her future was secure.

The Holy Spirit provides a far more significant assurance. From him we receive an acceptance letter to heaven. 1 John 4:17 (NLT) says, “So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.” The Holy Spirit will keep his promise. We’ve been sealed. He will get us home.

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