All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:25-26 NIV)
Comforter. Counselor. Advocate. Spirit of Truth. Guide. Intercessor. All of these words describe God’s Holy Spirit. And the most miraculous thing is that this Spirit lives in us. Stop. Think about that. God. Lives. In. You. That should knock us to the ground in awe – or at least cause us to pause to take it all in.
But just because the Holy Spirit is within us, doesn’t mean we always feel His presence or power. Busyness often keeps our minds occupied with no time to stop to hear from the Lord. God’s voice can get muffled or even silenced by the many competing voices around us.
And then there’s the Enemy. Whether you accept it or not (and I didn’t for quite a while), there is a spiritual battle raging in our world with a force of evil that is actively attacking, deceiving, and attempting to destroy God’s plans for your life. If Satan doesn’t derail you, he will distract you, keeping you busy to prevent you from fulfilling your calling. I have learned the hard way that even good causes may not be God’s causes.
But despite these distractions, God’s promise assures us that He is with us through the Holy Spirit. In fact, in the original biblical languages, the word spirit is translated as “wind or breath.” And just like we know the wind is there even though we can’t see it, we can be certain, as believers, that God’s Spirit is too.
When do you feel God’s Spirit most in your life? How do you discern whether it’s truly the voice of God?
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1John 4:1 NIV)
Note: To learn more about discernment, Priscilla Shirer’s book, Discerning the Voice of God, is an excellent resource. The “Five Ms of Correctly Hearing from God” are an especially helpful guide.