Leaning on the Holy Spirit

My church has signed up for an online video Bible study library (RightNow Media) which gives the congregation access to a great multitude of teachers and their guided studies of God's Word. Tonight as I sit on my bed after a day filled with phone calls to coordinate doctors appointments, testing, and even dealing with paperwork & attorneys for my court hearing next week regarding my application for disability.  I sat down and decided to take a break and 'fill my spiritual tank' so to speak. 

I had previously been watching a series on suffering, but tonight I clicked on the first session of a study called 'When God's Spirit Moves' by Pastor Jim Cymbala. I honestly don't even know why I picked that because I normally complete one study before starting another. Anyway, I'll try to get to the point I want to share, which is this...Tonight amidst the chaos and the beauty that are both part of my life, I was reminded that just as God the Father sent Jesus to redeem us, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to Indwell in us. We don't just have to be in our head all the time, reading and rationalizing the Bible and trying to figure out how to apply it in our lives, how to use it to help ourselves, and to share it with others. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit actually communicates to us with feelings and emotions, He guides us & encourages us when we are in need of comfort. 

I don't mean to sound weird to those who haven't experienced this, but I'm almost 40 years old and there have been times that I can physically feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Oh how I love Him! 
These experiences make me love God even more for caring enough about me, about us, to send us this helper who speaks to our hearts. What I love the most is the fact that like the book 'The 5 Love Languages' by Gary Chapman, the Holy Spirit knows us through and through and speaks to us in our individual love language.

Tonight as I listened, I could feel emotions bubbling up inside me, I knew the words of the Pastor were meant for me, for my situation today, and to remind me that as a Christian, I have a constant companion who loves to speak to my heart if I will slow down and listen.

I'm sure the Holy Spirit feels different to different people, but tonight I felt peace...like it washed over me and immediately took away my stress and anxiety over my circumstances, I didn't feel alone (though no one else was in my room), and I felt joy, which is an emotion that intellectually feels counterintuitive to my circumstances.

I feel Joy, not because I'm happy for my health or life problems, but because I am reminded that I serve a big God, who will never leave me and who cares enough to send me a comforter.

When I feel the Holy Spirit, I feel safe in an unsafe world. And as the study was coming to a close, and I was feeling this Peace, Love, & Joy, they played a song by the choir at Pastor Cymbala's church, the Brooklyn Tabernacle, tears of joy fell from my eyes because I knew that I'm not alone and I am loved...and the Lord and God that I serve loves me enough to allow me to feel a glimpse of His love for me from time to time, just when I need it most.

These are the moments that are hard to explain to an unbeliever who has not been lucky enough to experience this. But if that is you, let me encourage you to seek out the Lord. Life is becoming a challenge in one way or another in most people's lives, and you don't have to do this alone.  I believe that we are made by God to have these relationships, it doesn't make is weak to need them and experience them, it makes us complete.

In my room, I prayed with tears running down my face, thanking God for being present in my life in many ways; God as my Father and Protector, Jesus as my Savior and Instructor, and finally the Holy Spirit as my Comforter and Encourager....my own personal life coaching team.

Nothing compared to what I felt tonight, and I don't get to feel it all the time, though I wish I could, but it is there when I need it most. Peace in the midst of a storm.

Tonight I pray this for anyone who reads this post. May you ask to feel God's Supernatural presence and receive it in your own personal love language. May the interaction be significant to you and help you to know that no matter what comes your way:

1. You are not alone
2. God will help you through your trials
3. You are loved more than you can possibly imagine and your emotions, feelings, and thoughts are important to God

If it can happen for little ol' me, it can happen for you. Try it, what do you have to lose?

As Christians I think we forget about the very real power of the Holy Spirit, who is 1/3 of the trinity and because of that, He is also God.

At your conversion you were sanctified and became a home for the Holy Spirit. God is inside you....me too....we must let that sink into our psyche. The power of The One and only Creator is inside us. We should not be afraid, we should not walk with our heads down, we can walk tall, no matter what we've done, because God can see who we want to be in our hearts and it pleases Him beyond words to know that you want your life to please Him! The intention of our heart is most important to the Lord, and thankfully He can see through all the distracting junk so He can speak His love directly to us!

I'd like this long post to end with a prayer to my mighty Lord from His humble servant.

Thank you Lord for reminding me of your abundant love for me and the fact that you have a plan for my life! I pray that my story/testimony will help someone to understand you a little better. I ask that you would touch those who read this in a way that would be undeniably you. May Your Holy Spirit fill us, guide us, and be our comfort and compass in life. In Jesus name, Amen.