John 14:16-17 (AMP) “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate,
Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot
receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit)
remains with you continually and will be in you”.
Our littlest fur baby, Buddy, is deaf, completely blind in one eye, and partially blind in the other (and he has a snaggle
tooth underbite) but let me tell you, Buddy is the most content and happy of the three fur babies. Despite his physical
challenges, Buddy is the most obedient and responsive on the leash when we walk. He is completely dependent on me
to guide him, and he reacts with ease, quickly, gently, and without question or resistance. There is no pulling, no forcing,
no muscle needed as I guide him on and off the sidewalks or on the grassy trails. All Buddy needs is the slightest, gentle
prod from me, and he not only obeys but he is so happy to do it! His tail wags, his pace slightly quickens sometimes into
a little bunny hop. He is so joyful to comply. Why is that? Is it because he is 100% dependent on me? He trusts me
completely because he knows and understands he needs me to be his eyes, ears, and compass. Recently while on one of
our walks, Holy Spirit whispered to me: “What if you were as sensitive to my promptings? What would life be like for
you and those you encounter every day, if you reacted to the smallest of nudges from me? How much easier and
joyful would your walk be?.” OUCH and WOW!!
In John 14, Jesus promised the disciples He would send Holy Spirit. The literal sense of how I perceived the scriptures
and role of Holy Spirit for so long was that Holy Spirit was a counselor, comforter, counselor – and while these are
beautiful, perfect, pure, and forever true, I missed the fullness of Holy Spirit and that He lives and dwells in us. So, if Holy
Spirit dwells and lives in me, then He is not my co-pilot as I previously thought or recognized. In fact, I limited Holy Spirit
by labeling Him as my co-pilot. Holy Spirit is not only everywhere I go but He is in me; He is my PILOT. He is my driver,
my walking partner, director, mentor, doctor, guide, and best friend…but do I always allow Him to be all that He really is
living inside me? And do I do so with joy?
I pondered Holy Spirit’s whisper for days and asked, “Holy Spirit, show me; teach me how to be ultra-sensitive to you
and your voice. Remind me to place total dependence on You in all things. I want to hear your gentle voice in the midst
of the world’s chaos. I asked God to reveal areas in my life where I am not completely yielding to and listening for Holy
Spirit’s soft voice and gentle nudge. I want to comply, just like Buddy on his leash, and be completely dependent, joyful
and without resistance! And with a hop in my step!
You may be wondering or questioning how to know for certain if that gentle voice is Holy Spirit? Maybe you are like me
and often find it difficult to drive out the noise of the world, but I continue to remind myself to do two simple things to
align myself with Holy Spirit speaking and guiding: be intentional to seek him and ask Holy Spirit for confirmation that it
is Him. When I do these things, Holy Spirit is unleashed to speak to and flow through me to direct my steps. Some of the
best scriptures I read in the Word of God begin with “by faith.” By faith, seek and ask for Holy Spirit to guide in all our
decision making. In the asking, Holy Spirit may call you or me to what seems like radical actions such as linking hands
with a stranger at the coffee shop and praying for them or offering a ride to a lady walking and carrying a heavy load on
the street. What is always so amazing and astonishing to me is that God blesses us ALWAYS through our act of
obedience when listening to His voice. I commit to ask for more Holy Spirit intervention and nudges through each
moment of the day. I want more of you, Holy Spirit. More dependence on You for every step, motion, and action. Will
you walk with me, friend, and ask Holy Spirit for more of His will in all the big and small? I cannot wait to hear your
stories!
My prayer is that each of us step into Holy Spirit moments of what we think are small nudges from Him, and we share in
just how faithful and good He is through our simple acts of obedience.
John 14:26 ESV But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and
bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
© Standing in the son