THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is a Person and not a thing. Sometimes, we think that when He ministers to us, He will speak with a loud voice. We want to feel a shaking first or we want to hear a noise. But that’s not the way He ministers. “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Elijah was on a mountain waiting for God, and where he was waiting, several awe-inspiring events that caught his attention transpired. Although it seemed these things were loud and fearsome enough to announce God’s presence, He chose not to come with them. Rather, He came with a still, small voice. God didn’t show up in a way Elijah would have expected Him to. He announced His presence with a still, small voice. If He operated like that back then, you can trust that He still operates the same way today.

The Holy Spirit talks to God’s children all the time but many don’t respond as they really should. More frequently than not, they respond to Him with their senses. They expect that when He talks, there should be a loud noise and a violent shaking but that’s not true.

The Bible says, “...without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). It therefore means that to hear God’s voice, you have to do it by faith. It takes faith to accept “a still small voice” as the voice of God. That’s the kind of voice you hear in the nighttime as you lie in your bed, saying, “Arise son, it’s time to pray.” When you hear a still, small voice or a nudging in your spirit urging you to pray, that’s the Holy Spirit. Or do you think it’s your mind that tells you that you haven’t prayed today? Why didn’t your mind tell you that before you were born again? Do you think it’s your mind that tells you that you haven’t studied your Bible today or that it’s time to go to Church? No, it’s the Holy Ghost! You have to learn to listen to Him. He’s the One Who calms your spirit when you’re angry. He’s the One Who tells you everything will be alright. He gives you hope. Even when you do things wrong, He’s the One who helps you out. The Bible says in the book of Isaiah, “…if you leave God’s paths and go astray, you will hear a voice behind you say, “No, this is the way; walk here” (Isaiah 30:21 TLB). This is the reason you can’t fail. With the Holy Ghost in you, you can’t help but grow in everything you do. The Bible says when you miss your way, you’ll hear a voice behind you say, “Stop! This is the way, walk in it.” It’s impossible to fall into error or be defeated after hearing that Voice. Instead, you just keep winning all the way because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! In our fellowship with the Holy Spirit, we come into His awesome ministry, but to receive that ministry, we must also learn to minister to Him. In Acts 13:1-2, the Bible tells us of certain prophets and teachers who ministered to the Lord. As they did, the Holy Spirit ministered back to them and it resulted in the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. If we are to receive the ministry of the Spirit, we must also recognize that we have our ministry to the Spirit. This is the communion of the Holy Ghost and its blessing.

..:: FOR FURTHER STUDY ::..
1 KINGS 9:11- 13, HEBREWS 11: 1- 6; ACTS 13:1- 2; ISAIAH 30:21; ACTS 11:1- 17.