What Do I Do?

I had some really weird dreams last night!  It is not that they were necessarily bad or scary, but just a little unsettling!  I would find myself in settings were things didn’t make sense.  People were telling me strange stories, different needs were going unmet and like I said… things just seemed out of kilter!  I woke up a couple of times and found myself rebuking the dream and the way I felt at that moment. 

Later, when I got up for the day, I still felt a bit unsettled and a little confused.  I finally stopped when I took Fiver out to take care of his morning responsibilities and as I stood on the dew laden back lawn in the warm morning air, I asked the Lord for a fresh and strong presence of the Holy Spirit in our home.  And you know… within a few moments I could feel a tangible change in the atmosphere when I walked back into our bedroom to help Piper up for the day.

As I began to speak out the Word to her, I could sense a new expectation building up inside of me.  I even found myself being filled with joy as I comprehended and pictured the results of the various healing scriptures occurring in Piper’s body…

We have a particular confession that we speak out throughout the day which is based on Proverbs 3 verses 5-8, where we declare that “It is our trusting in You, Papa God, and in the Lord Jesus Christ and the truth of His Word, as we are led and directed by the Holy Ghost, that is bringing this your health to Piper’s body and nourishment to her bones.” (This confession has taken on extra meaning with Piper’s fractured wrist…)

I had just finished getting Piper changed for the day and was helping her up into her chair so that we could go into the kitchen, as I was speaking out this verse.  And without missing a beat I stopped and looked at Piper and said: “We really do depend a lot on the Holy Spirit throughout the day don’t we?”  Then I quickly flashed back to all the times we seek insight, wisdom and direction from the third member of the Trinity.

The more I meditated on this fact, the more I realized that I have been in almost constant communication with the Holy Spirit each and every moment of the day since I heard the results of Piper’s first tests back in 2007!  This may sound funny to some, but I also realized that it is almost like I was forced to build and strengthen my dependence on the Spirit’s assistance from the moment we returned to California after our stay in Oklahoma.  We came back to a different place with changes in our network of church, family and friends.  In some respects, the Holy Ghost was the only One that we felt we could depend on with the great multitude of decisions we had to make.

Don’t get me wrong in that there were some folks at our church that were very helpful to us, but most decisions I had to make alone with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  And so far that process has worked out quite well for us!  After all, Jesus did tell us that “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever.  That helper is the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:16-17 God’s Word ©)

The Greek word that is translated “helper” is actually “Parakletos” which David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary defines as “A legal Defender.”  Thayer’s Greek Definitions describes it as one who is “called to one’s side; one who pleads another’s cause before a judge; counsel for defense; a helper, succourer, assistant.”  The Amplified Bible breaks it down into six words: “Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and standby.”

So you can see that when a Christian needs assistance, wisdom and direction, the Holy Spirit is the One best equipped for the job!  I have had lots of opportunities over these last few years to ignore the Holy Spirit’s leading and choose to follow another Christian’s advice… but you know, I have repeatedly found it best to follow the leading of the Spirit.  And although it hasn’t always made me the most popular person with some people… it has ALWAYS been our best choice and has ended with POSITIVE results!

I’ll share a little more on this subject in my next blog… but until then, consider how much time you spend seeking the guidance, counsel and spiritually legal insight with the Holy Ghost.  Maybe it is time to make an adjustment?  Have a great weekend, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “Who or What am I expecting to be my best source of wisdom, counsel and direction today?”