What would it look like to follow the Holy Spirit? Now to make it personal, what would it look like in your life to follow the Holy Spirit? Now how do you want to follow the Holy Spirit? Probably something like this right?
“The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Genesis 12:1-2 NIV
One day I was in my car, and I was in the middle lane stopped at a light waiting to turn left and I noticed something, before your light turns green the lights on both sides need to turn red. Before your door (the way his Spirit made) opens, the other doors not for you need to close. Let’s look at a people who followed the Spirit.
Numbers 9:15-18 NIV, "15 On the day the Tabernacle,” (Tabernacle: Tabernacle, Hebrew Mishkan, (“dwelling”), the portable sanctuary constructed by Moses as a place of worship for the Hebrew tribes during the period of wandering that preceded their arrival in the promise land.) “the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it.” (The cloud was a physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit; they could see it and feel it.) “From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; whenever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp." The rest of the verses of the chapter are all about his presence being over the tabernacle for a long and short time, lasting evening to morning to even years. When his Spirit would go, no matter the timing the Israelites would leave after him. That’s what it looks like to follow the Holy Spirit.
Lyrics by Michael Ketterer - Spirit Lead Me
“If you say, “It’s wrong” then I’ll say, “No”
If you say “Release” I’m letting go
If you’re in it with me, I’ll begin
And when you say to Jump, I’m diving in
If you say, “Be still” then I will wait
If you say to trust, I will obey
I don’t wanna follow my own ways
I’m done chasing feelings, Spirit lead me."
I love what this song means, I don’t want to lead, if I lead, I’ll make it all about myself. NO! I want you your Spirit to lead so it can be all about you. It’s not about feelings or wants it’s about the LORD. Not that we should fear leading, it’s about taking note who is truly leading, that’s where one truly learns how to lead. The sad thing is that the Israelites come all this way, they left Egypt, traveled 361 miles from Egypt to Canaan, (the promise land). Defeated the Amalekites and much more that I’m not going to get into. After all of that, they make it to the promise land, it’s just on the other side of the Jordan river, but the people that lived there were intimidating as it says in Numbers 13:28-29 and 31-33 & Deuteronomy 9:2. And then GOD’s people who carried GOD’s victory, promise and freedom do this...Numbers 14:2-3 NIV, "2 All the Israelites grumbled (complain about something in a bad-tempered way) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in the wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” That’s what they said?!?! Instead of walking in victory (which is in GOD) they choose to live in fear and wish enslavement back in Egypt, to not trust GOD and his word but only what their eyes could see. The LORD gets so angry with them that he wanted to strike them down in verses 11 & 12, however Moses prays that GOD will spare and forgive them (Numbers 14:20-24, 28-30 NIV).
Sadly in verses 40-45 they decide to go to Canaan without the LORD’s leading which Moses warned in verse 42 “…Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,” and they were. Don’t set yourself up for failure as they did. If you don’t follow the Spirit’s lead you are missing out on the best parts of your life, THE BEST PART! That’s how you make it to your promise land by following the Holy Spirit. Let me ask you this. Theoretically you don’t want to follow the Holy Spirit, whether that's because you're impatient, or fearful, or whatever, right?. How are you going to get to the promise land? Who’s going to show you? I'll close with this: how can you follow the Spirit? Wherever the Spirit is leading you follow him. However long you’re there, trust him. Whatever is from him say yes no matter what enemy comes against. The promise He made He didn’t forget. Where He is be there too, and trust GOD for your breakthrough. Release this world and take hold of what the LORD wants to share with you. Don’t do it on your own for His strength is for you. Watch out for the devil remember to walk where it’s level. What he says is lies, but GOD says you will survive.
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