Day 9 - The Holy Spirit Has His Own Desires and Will

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.

Back to Beginner Sailing Tips from discoverboating.com:

• Become familiar with sail control.
  The best sailors are the ones who are able to adjust sail settings to take the best advantage of different wind and water conditions.

• Respect the boom.
  Some of the most common sailing injuries are a result of not being aware when the boom is about to swing. To avoid a bump to the head, or even worse, being knocked overboard, one of the most important beginner sailing tips to always remember for both passengers and crew is to be conscious and respectful of the boom at all times.

Wow. The Spirit knows me. He knows me so well that He gives me gifts to accomplish His will. Remember last fall when we learned about compassion and had the opportunity to help others in need, because someone so generously gave us the means? Isn’t this kind of like that? The Spirit has given me the abilities, the gifts, to help and teach others…and to live as He would have me live. He wants to work in us, on us, and through us.

The better we come to know the Holy Spirit and become familiar with His sail control, the more open we are to His work in our lives. When we get into difficult times due to the worldliness and evil that are out there, the Holy Spirit can guide us through because He knows us so well. But because He is both the wind, and the one who desires to set our sail, we can find ourselves at odds with Him. When it is His desire to chart a new course for us and change our reading we may be caught off guard. Like a sailor who gets a nasty knot on his head when the boom swings, so we may pick up a few bumps and bruises when we wrestle with the Spirit over direction and control of our lives.

Test your “Holy Boom” awareness as you navigate your day. How do you respond to the choices before you?

Do you pray for His guidance? Do you seek His wisdom from His Word?

Do you wrestle with decisions so that you give yourself the opportunity to truly submit to His will?