GET PREPARED FOR A NEW SEASON IN YOUR LIFE

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”—Genesis 2:7

 

We can never regain time.  Many people look forward to the start of a new year, and  make all kinds of resolutions and promises to themselves and to God.  However many times our own efforts fail us and we give up and fall back into old habits and become stuck in the last season.  I want to encourage you today that when you put God first and His direction your efforts will produce greater success and a new season in your life. 

Allow the Holy Spirit to prepare you for a new season in your life, by making time for Him on a consistent daily basis.  Read the prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23; 2:1,4-6 inserting your name where appropriate to make this prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed, personal.   Wait upon the Holy Spirit in worship and prayer with thankfulness (Philippians 4: 6).

 

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Wind of God, and the very Breath of God.  It is interesting to note that in both the Hebrew and Greek languages the same word in both have the same three meanings.  In the Hebrew, ruach means spirit, wind and breath.  The context in which the word is used dictates which word best fits.  In the Greek, pneuma also means spirit, wind and breath.  When God formed Adam of the dust of the ground, it was the breath of God that caused him to live.  It is the same Spirit of God that causes us to live this new life when we repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  However, unless we are constantly being replenished with His Life, we soon find that in ourselves our natural reserves are limited and we become exhausted and have nothing more to offer—we are worn out, breathless…winded. 

 

Nearly a half-century ago, a Scottish pastor, James S. Stewart, published a book of sermons that went by the title of the first sermon, "The Wind of the Spirit."  His text for that message was something the Lord said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

 

In my opinion, Stewart's outline on this powerful truth gives us an understanding of the depth of the Lord’s teaching about the Wind of the Spirit.

 

     The wind blows" That bare, simple statement affirms the ceaseless action of the Spirit. Never has there  
     been a time, never a moment, when the Spirit of God has not been actively at work.

    The wind blows where it wishes" This is the sovereign freedom of the Spirit. Just as it is impossible to 
     control the wind or dictate its direction, so no man, no Church, can domesticate the Spirit of God.

     ...and you hear the sound of it" This is the indisputable evidence of the Spirit. He makes Himself evident,
     His presence felt. You know the living God is at work in this place.

     ...but cannot tell where it comes from" This is the inscrutable origin of the Spirit. We do not know what
      God has been doing before beginning His work at this point and in this place, only that He has.

    ...and where it goes" This is the incalculable destiny of the Spirit. You cannot tell where He is liable to
      carry you.

 The Wind of the Spirit is a resource for believers beyond all measure. The Spirit is God's strength for our weakness, His sight for our blindness and His supply for our need.

 

Some years ago, I was on a plane flying back from Florida when the captain came on the intercom. He greeted everyone and said what altitude that we were flying at and then said, “I thought you'd be interested in knowing that we have a tailwind of 200 knots. This means that instead of flying along at 400 miles an hour, we are doing something over 600."   He paused to let that sink in, and then said, "A few minutes ago, the pilot of a plane headed in the opposite direction said that same wind is a headwind to him. So, instead of doing 500, he's doing 300 miles an hour."

 

Resist the Lord and He becomes a headwind to us, slowing us down, making our way hard. The Lord said to Saul of Tarsus, "It is hard for you to kick against the goads" (Acts 9:5).

 

Go "with the Wind of God" and we soon find we are being lifted and carried along by an incredible power beyond ourselves. The best prayer any of us can pray is the first one Saul prayed that day outside Damascus: "What do you want me to do?" (Acts 9:6).

 

I pray that you will begin to spend time with the Spirit of God to prepare you for a new season in your life. 

 

Prayer—Father I repent of doing things my own way and in my own strength, I ask You to help me Spirit of God and lead me in the pathway of life; help me to put my trust in You and not in man.  Lord I thank You that You make Your presence known and that You will carry me through to my final destination, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.