Max Lucado

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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“You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, ‘Papa! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6-7 MSG). The natural attitude of people toward God is not like this. We do not really trust him, love him, or pursue him. But upon conversion a supernatural change occurs.  Our affection toward God begins to warm, and we turn to him.

The Spirit convinces your spirit of this truth: your destiny is in the hands of a loving Father.  He is a good father, who has recorded your name in the Book of Life with the blood of the Lamb. And the Spirit of God is urging you to listen as he affirms in your spirit that you are a child of God. You have been adopted into the family.

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“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14 NLT). The father-child relationship is one of assurance. In the Old Testament, God is described as a father only fifteen times. In the New Testament he is referred to as our father more than two hundred times. So what happened between the Old and New?

Christ happened. His death on the cross was the final payment for our sins. As far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 NIV). If you travel north or south, you’ll eventually reach the North or South Pole and change directions. But east and west have no turning points. Neither does God. His forgiveness is irreversible. Headline this truth: when God sees you, he does not see your sin.

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To whom does the Trinity entrust your protection? You “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13 ESV). We have been once-and-for-all-time sealed by the Spirit for redemption.

Seal—you know the verb. You twist a jar to seal the pickles. You notarize the contract to seal the deal. Sealing declares ownership and secures contents. Sealing says, “This is mine, and this is protected.”

When you accepted Christ, God sealed you with the Spirit. He cocooned you, assuring your safekeeping. Satan might woo you, discourage you, and, for a time, influence you. But he cannot have you. Christ “has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30 NLT).

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Right now, at this moment, the Spirit of the living God is talking to the rest of the Trinity about you. The eternal, ever-creating Spirit is speaking on your behalf. Help is here! The greatest force, the only true force, in the universe is your ally, your advocate.  “[He] keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” (Romans 8:28 MSG).

You may be stuck in a dark place with no visible exit. If so, please hear this. When we are in times of weakness, it is all hands on deck as the Trinity works to bring about what is good for us. We do not know how to pray; that is okay. The Spirit knows, and he prays for you.

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There is often a gap between what we want from life and what we get in life. And during such times of weakness “we do not know what to pray for as we ought” (Romans 8:26 NKJV). What should the cancer patient request—healing, or deliverance into heaven? For what should the father of the prodigal pray—God’s patience for his son, or a pigpen for his son? For what should the persecuted prisoner ask—release from captivity, or endurance in captivity?

We do not know how to pray as we ought. What if our prayers are too sparse to deserve an audience with God? What if he turns us away? Does heaven hear the enfeebled prayers of a weary soul? Thanks to our heavenly helper the answer is yes. “The Spirit himself intercedes for us” (Romans 8:26 NIV).

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“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us…” (Romans 8:26 NIV).

The groans of the heart. You have heard them. You have made them. They are the vernacular of pain, the chosen tongue of despair. When prayers won’t come, these will have to do. Yet these raw appeals find their way into the presence of God the Father because they are entrusted into the care of the Holy Spirit.

We’re accustomed to the Holy Spirit’s mighty deeds: fire falling on Peter, doors opening for Paul. Because of the Spirit, Ezekiel saw dead bones rise, and Moses saw the Red Sea open. Yet of equal import is this: the Spirit curates and translates the incoherent prayers of the weak until they are heard in the tribunal of heaven.

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