It Takes the Spirit
We live in a secular age. One of the beliefs that distinguishes our age is that we don’t need God to remedy our problems. We believe that we can set things aright without Him.
The Bible teaches us the exact opposite. It tells us that in order for humanity to thrive it must look to the Lord, because it is His Spirit who not only creates all that exists, but also maintains the bonds necessary for civilization to be secure and prosper.
When men depend on anything besides the Lord, their efforts ultimately prove to be in vain. But when men depend on God, His Spirit gives the ability to overcome obstacles and fulfill the callings that He gives.
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the LORD of hosts” (Zech.4:6).
The first man, Adam, learned this the hard way when he failed to trust the Lord and and decided to depend on His own understanding. And every man since him must decide how he will live – will he depend on is own carnal reasoning or trust the word of the Lord.
Joseph engaged the world and all its temptations with a heart turned to the Lord. As a consequence, he was regarded as one who possessed “the Spirit of God” and was empowered to lead all of Egypt. Saul, on the other hand, hardened his heart, and because of it the Spirit of the Lord departed from him and an evil spirit tormented him instead.
All of this has relevance to our own time.
We live in the midst of a society that seems given over to insanity. Practically everyday we see policies enacted and decisions made that are foolish and defy logic. Why is this so? Because we have denied the Spirit. And when a people deny the Spirit of God, no matter what they do or how powerful they seem, it is all in vain.
What then is the remedy we need? To recover the Spirit’s presence and blessing among us.
This cannot be done by following some formula, but through humility and prayer. And we are encouraged to seek the Spirit by asking God to give Him to us (Lk.11:13).
But as we ask God to send His Spirit, we need to be careful how we live. We must take care not to grieve the Spirit or quench Him lest He stay far away from us. Rather, we must walk according to the Spirit in all that He shows us.
Also, we need to give priority to worship and the gathering of His people, because it is here that God has ordained the Spirit to do His renewing work.
At a time when so many are facing complex and seemingly insoluble problems, we need to recognize the priority that stands above all others – we need to get in step with the Spirit.
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