16. The Spirit of Love (part 2)
Monday 4th March
(for more details see here)
Pause:
Brian Heasley's brilliant book: Be Still opens with this except for his daily journal with God:
"Lord I want to cultivate and remember the moment I have with you in this chair,
so that I can go there in my mind wherever I am.
I need to be able to sink into the memory of the chair at any point.
I have to maintain enough God awareness throughout the day
to sink back into You at any given moment, to lean into You.
My time in the chair gives me muscle memory for the day.
I felt it somewhere random the other day, this familiar morning feeling,
I felt it in another place in the middle of the day.
I choose to feel it,
to become aware of Your presence in that particular moment."
BRIAN HEASLEY (Be Still)
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We are sat in the upper room. All of us together.
It is evening, and we have shared the intimate intensity of the Passover meal celebration with close, trusted friends.
Jesus has been opening His heart to us. There have been dramatic moments - painful conversations, real questions, deep sharing.
Throughout it all, Jesus keeps making references to
"another"
Another
"counsellor"...
Another counsellor
"from the Father"...
One who will
"come-along-side" us, speak to us. Speak for us.
Now He has called Him The Holy Spirit - the True Spirit - The Spirit
of Truth!
"It's better if I go..." Jesus explains, "It's for your benefit... unless I go, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you!" (JOHN 16. 7)
Jesus describes His work in two arenas - in the world, and in us - the disciples!
In the world He will be convincing and convicting - changing the spiritual climate until imprisoned hearts find freedom!
And in us...
"when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.
He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.
He will glorify me because it is from me that He will receive what He will make known to you.
All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what He will make known to you.” (JOHN 16. 13-15)
What a promise!
What a gift!
What a life we are invited into!
Reflection:
Sometimes I look for guidance.
Big moments.
Big decisions.
Big dilemmas.
Big problems.
Others I'm happy to hold the wheel. Confident that I know what's right and best.
Most the time, I'm probably just cruising along. Not expecting, needing or particularly wanting to be guided.
I wonder how many of the big dilemmas and big problems might be avoided if I was intentionally seeking the Spirit's guidance on a more regular basis... how many of the big moments and big decisions might not be such a surprise if I'd been in communication with the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.
"He will tell you what is yet to come."
Sometimes in obviously huge John-writing-the-book-of-Revelation-Isle-of-Patmos moments...
Sometimes in deceptively smaller Phillip-go-take-the-desert-road-Ethiopian-conversion moments...
But never-the-less life guiding moments
And always taking us deeper into Jesus and what He has for us.
My pattern of listening may have been sporadic in the past.
As I confess that today, I can receive His grace for it - but I cannot change my previous pattern.
But I can change my pattern today.
And tomorrow.
And in the weeks, months and years to come.
Spirit of Truth, guide me today - and every day - in accordance with the Father's will
Lead me to Jesus
Lead me to know Jesus more
Lead me to be more like Jesus
Lead me to Truth
Lead me to Hope
Lead me to Grace
Lead me to Love
Lead me
Question for today:
-
What reminders can I set myself to interrupt the default pattern, and cause me to pause to listen to His voice?
Prayer:
We return to the "chair" that Brian wrote about at the start. His book ends with this blessing:
"May your chair be blessed with the presence of the divine.
May your walk with God be a pleasure that sustains you.
Let His word feed you, His world speak to you, and His Spirit fuel your imagination.
Write of His goodness, speak of His kindness, practice gratitude, always trust.
May your more be only for Him and your less only to sin.
Stop, look up and wonder at all you see,
live simply.
Find God in hiddenness and hide Him in you.
Have the tenacity of perseverance, fight!
Find joy in giving, pour yourself out,
Live your life for others.
Carry Christ's love to the lost, His freedom to captives,
His comfort to the broken, His healing to the sick.
Get lost in the depths of the Father's love, find yourself in Him.
Enjoy the feast,
embrace the seasons.
Be still and know that He is God.
Amen."
I prayed this.
My prayer for today: (if you would like to, please feel free to add your own prayer here):
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him