May 13, 2008

Morning Music

Morning Music

The symphony was going strong around five a.m. this morning which was quite rude since I hadn't gone to bed until about 2:30 A barking dog began to warm up the audience, joined by several others soon after. A couple of robins did a duet (that surprised me because I haven't actually seen a robin yet this spring). A woodpecker began to work percussion not long afterwards.

A squirrel scolded something passing by and the magpies in the spruce tree followed suit. A nuthatch joined with its distinctive kvaaak. A pair of geese flew over honking all the way from their launch off the lake. A number of chickadees were busy "dee deee deee' ing".

The train off in the distance laid on the whistle as it crossed an intersection, a trucker out on the highway used the engine retarder brakes and a siren screamed somewhere. A couple of muscle cars dragged between the lights.

I'm sure it continued for a long time but I dozed back off to sleep.

Some of the symphony was pleasant; some of it not so nice and other parts just there. It was the sound of life. I only had a taste of it and most of the community around me slept through it all.

Life is often what goes on around us as we struggle with the day to day dealings of our existence. Many people exist. They walk and talk and breathe, but they don't know life. They sleepwalk through their days. True life comes when you allow yourself to be born again and let Holy Spirit have His way.

All believers have Holy Spirit. He dwells in every person who accepts Christ.

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV

Yet, most Christians go no further than allow Him to be resident in their lives. It's a wonderful blessing to have Him resident in us because it's a seal of our eternal destiny. Yet Holy Spirit wants more than to be just stuck in a corner of our heart. To use a phrase borrowed from another preacher (I can't recall who) Holy Spirit wants to be president not just resident. We need to yield control to Him.

Even the disciples were told to wait and let Holy Spirit come in power before they began their ministries in earnest.

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Luke 24:49 NIV

The disciples had already received Holy Spirit. He came upon them after the resurrection.

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:21-22 NIV

They opened themselves to more of His power at Pentecost. Not all of us will have a Pentecost experience, but we can choose to keep Holy Spirit in a tiny corner in our hearts or we can choose to give Him control. When we choose the latter we truly begin to live in the fullness and the power that God intends for us to live. We're no longer slumbering through life's symphony.

Yield your life to Holy Spirit. Allow Him to fill you and be astounded at the difference in the way you view everything in life.

Kevin

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