WATCHWORD:
26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord (The Holy Spirit) said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” 30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. Acts 8:26-31
Meditation:
The Holy Spirit – A True Friend?
Some final thoughts on the Holy Spirit. We already mentioned that the Gift of the Holy Spirit is an amazing and powerful presence, all to the advantage for those who believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, dwells within us and will never leave us. The question we may have is, how do we communicate with him, one to another, like a true friend?
I would guess that we have all seen quotes in books, in biographies, or in acknowledgments sections that attribute the inspiration for the work to God or the Holy Spirit. For years that was just a curiosity for me, something I noted but failed to fully comprehend, until it happened to me in my own faith and writings. Included in the Acknowledgments page of A Life for Barabbas, I wrote this: “I can’t tell you how many times I muttered, ‘Thank You, Jesus’ over the two years of writing this historic novel. Now at the end of this spiritual, literary odyssey, I have to say it again, ‘Thank You, Jesus.” At times, it felt like I was taking dictation from the Lord!
But, the question remains, how do we communicate with the Holy Spirit. this powerhouse of graces and gifts that dwells within us? As we read scripture passages about the Holy Spirit, we see Him described in personal, active terms. He teaches, He guides, He comforts and intercedes. He has emotions, intellect and will. He spoke to Philip, gave counsel to the church in Jerusalem, and in multiple times and ways directed the children of Israel.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament differs somewhat from His work in the New Testament; the possession of the Holy Spirit by the believer was not permanent in every case. The Spirit had a ministry of restraining sin and in the creation of the world.
Jesus’ sacrificial role changed all that. His “ask” of God to indwell part of the Godhead in each of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ, and we have received eternal life and a new nature. The Holy Spirit unites the believer with Christ and places him in the body of Christ.
But the question of communication still remains. My answer may be too simplistic, but how do you communicate with close friends? In a mindset that tells us this Friend, this Holy Spirit, is always listening, This is God who has graced us. So words of gratitude, love and praise, is a good start. He is communicating with us, and our role is to listen to what the holy spirit is saying to us. In the past you may have called this wee small voice, this thought that come to you your conscience, but if we think of that as the third person of the Godhead that we are privileged to have within us, our knowledge of the Holy Spirit and our trust in our own Godhead, will grow to become second nature.
The only thing that remains is our eternal gratitude to our Creator God, our Lord and Savior, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. An unimaginable gift to those who believe. Amen.
Aspects of the Holy Spirit by Robert Morris:
The Holy Spirit was the inspiration behind every word of the Holy Bible.
Closing Prayerful Thought:
Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. We are the sheep of his flock. Amen.
