Tuesday, February 01, 2011

An invisible touch

The wind blows wherever it pleases (John 3:8).

The wind can howl anytime throughout the year, but somehow it seems worse during the depths of winter. During the day, it lashes your face as you try to clear away snowdrifts. At night, the rattling of windows keeps you awake, wondering if the power might go off. Just listening to the wind can make you feel cold, deep down in your bones.

It’s amazing, isn’t it, what something invisible can do? You cannot see the wind, yet it can knock down branches and rip the shingles from your roof. It can force you to change your plans. It can make you feel scared or depressed.

God’s word was committed to paper in the languages of Hebrew and Greek. In both of those ancient tongues, the word for wind and spirit is the same. Consider how Adam was given the spirit of life: the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:2:7). Jesus compared the Spirit of God to the wind: The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

When speaking of the wind or of a spirit, Holy Scripture uses the same word for both. Wind and spirits are invisible, yet they can have a powerful effect on our lives. Evil spirits are frightening and destructive, like the winds that howl in winter. They create obstacles in our lives, they try to push us according to their whims, and they whisper things that chill us to the bone.

Thankfully, winter gives way to spring. The nasty wind that kicks up snow becomes the refreshing breeze that brings showers to the fields. And when the long days of relentless heat arrive, we all crave the cooling touch of a pleasant summer wind.

God is spirit, and He is served by a host of spirits who work at making our lives better. You cannot see these agents of God, but their work can be noticed if you just pay attention. They bring you relief when life is unpleasant. They try to nudge you in the right direction when temptation weakens your resolve. They show God’s love to you and urge you to rejoice in His goodness. They are a breath of warmth when life has you feeling cold.

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