I am not a science buff. I don’t pretend to understand all things scientific, but I am fascinated by how God designed His creation. One of those wonders is the wind.
Evangelist R. A. Torrey once said, “If the wind should absolutely cease to blow for a single hour, most of the life on this earth would cease to be.” Whether or not that statement is scientifically precise, it reminds us of how essential the wind is. It carries pollen and seeds, helps birds soar, powers ships and windmills, reshapes landscapes, and brings relief on a hot summer evening. We can explain some of how the wind works, but there is still something mysterious about it.
Jesus used that mystery to describe the Holy Spirit. In John 3:8 He said, “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.”
The Holy Spirit is always at work, often in ways we cannot see.
That truth comes alive in Acts 8. We often read the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch by focusing on Philip’s obedience or the Ethiopian’s search for truth. Those are certainly important. But the real hero of the story is the Holy Spirit.
Before Philip ever met the Ethiopian, God was already preparing both men. The Spirit led Philip away from a thriving ministry in Samaria to a lonely desert road. At the same time, the Spirit had placed an influential Ethiopian official in a chariot with the scroll of Isaiah open before him. God was working in both lives long before they ever crossed paths.
Philip simply obeyed.
The angel said, “Go south.” So, he started out. The Spirit said, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Philip ran. When he heard the man reading Isaiah, he began exactly where the man was and told him the good news about Jesus. One conversation changed a life because Philip was willing to join God in what God was already doing.
That is still how the Holy Spirit works today.
The Holy Spirit fills you in order to move you, in order to use you. He doesn’t simply transform us for our benefit; He empowers us to participate in God’s work of reconciling people to Himself.
The question is not whether God is working. He is. The question is whether we are paying attention.
God is already at work in your home, your neighborhood, your workplace, and your school. He is preparing hearts, opening doors, and creating opportunities you may never see unless you are listening to His Spirit.
Perhaps the next time you feel the wind on your face, let it remind you of the unseen work of the Holy Spirit. Before you begin your day, don’t just pray over your schedule. Ask God to show you where He is already at work and give you the courage to join Him.
The Holy Spirit still fills His people in order to move them, in order to use them. The only question is: Where is He moving you today?
Ted Harris
Associate Pastor