“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.” Nehemiah 9:19-21 (NIV)
It is an all too common thing for believers to forget the indwelling Holy Spirit. Sadly, most of our lives stand as a testimony to this truth. We so often see such powerless Christians walking in the flesh and succumbing to temptations leading them down all sorts of dead end paths. We don’t want to go there. We seek to go forth in our own impotent power which is mere weakness at best and certainly not eternal. Taking things in our own hands sans considering for a nano second God’s will and ways and power given us to do things too hard for us to do. This is both insanely foolish and utter ingratitude on our parts. Yet, the Holy Spirit tenderly bears with us – in all our waywardness and striving after the wind. Patiently He waits for us to rely upon Him and His all achieving power. Sadly, it seems we often get to the end of our ropes before we do so.
Everything the Holy Spirit does He does with excellence. He transforms sinners’ actions into saintly ones – changing the leanings of our insecure, stubborn, rebellious hard hearts into pliable ones, desirous to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord Jesus. He prompts good thoughts and good actions, He reveals Truths and God’s precious promises to us and He assists us in good and profitable works leading to admirable results. He is the Author and Perfecter of all good works and those who yield to His mighty influence within become good – progressively transformed into the image of Christ. We are to be thankful for all the work He accomplishes in and through the believer in sweet Jesus. His desire is for us to seek Him and wait on Him and not grieve Him by our silliness and foolishness. He wants to transform us and to be attentive to His still small voice within. Those who yield to Him do good as He enables them to walk rightly culminating in a life well pleasing to God. Apart from Him we can do nothing of eternal value. Let us obey with gratitude for all He does for us and through us and let us speak His praise.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:18-21 (NIV)