Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits (Song of Solomon 4:16).
I grew up in an area that experienced the four seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall. My favourite transition of seasons was from the bitter snow and cold of winter to the freshness and new life of spring. You could feel and smell the fresh winds of spring as the blossoms and flowers began to spring forth. The bitter cold landscape of winter became a forgotten memory as the warm winds of spring began to fill the air.
These memories come to mind due to something similar beginning to take place in the worldwide church. Do you sense it? Do you feel the Spirit of God beginning to stir and move uniquely in our midst? Here are some insights that will help in taking full advantage of this fresh wind of God’s Spirit.
He who has Ears to Hear
The Lord, when speaking to the Seven Churches of Revelation always ended his address by stating “He who has ears to hear let him hear what the Lord is saying to the churches”. The Spirit is not only moving but also speaking. We must be intentional in positioning our spiritual ears to hear His voice. This can be difficult when considering all of the distractions of life, such as social media and other voices that can get in the way of hearing God’s voice. Consider the following words from the prophet Isaiah.
“The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned (Isaiah 50:4).
There is a warning given by Jeremiah towards those who do not take God or His Word seriously.
To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, And they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them; They have no delight in it (Jeremiah 6:10).
The fresh wind of God’s Spirit must be discerned and acted upon. This leads to the next important key.
Positioning your Sails
Imagine yourself on a sailboat in an open sea with your sails down. Suddenly, a gust of wind begins to blow resulting in your boat being tossed and turned aimlessly upon the water. The question then is where are you heading? This is a danger for many Christians. They experience the wind and yet not reap the benefits due to ignorance and unpreparedness. The parable of the Ten Virgins come to mind. All were awaiting the bridegroom yet only five paid the price (positioning their sails) in being prepared (Matthew 25:1-13).
Think of the benefit of having your sails set in a way that takes full advantage of the fresh wind that is blowing. The 120 believers in the Upper Room at Pentecost positioned themselves in unity as they tarried in God’s presence. They heard and responded to the Words of Jesus that was presented to them before His ascension back to heaven.
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me (Acts 1:4).
In an instant, a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit came upon these faithful believers which allowed them to sail to extraordinary experiences in God. We can assume that others heard the Words of Jesus about the coming Promise but opted to not position their sails by being in the Upper Room as they waited for the fresh move to come.
Knowing the Times and Seasons
A few months back we examined the various seasons of life as spoken by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1-10. In God’s kingdom its not enough to just go through a particular season but we also need to discern and act upon it. Many people were acquainted with the season of the Lord’s ministry on earth. They heard his teachings and observed His mighty works, yet they failed in properly aligning their spiritual sails.
And level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation (Luke 19:44).
There is a fresh wind of the Spirit that is beginning to flow. Now more than ever it is vital for us to be connected to a church and body of believers that takes its walk with God seriously. It’s in this environment where we can collectively hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying while positioning our spiritual sails in alignment to the fresh wind of God’s Spirit.
DAILY MEDITATIONS:
Monday: Acts 2:2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Tuesday: Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
Wednesday: Revelation 3:22
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Thursday: Psalm 147:18
He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.
Friday: Jeremiah 31:25
For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
Saturday: Matthew 25:9
But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.
Sunday: Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
All scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version (NKJV).
By Pastor Timothy O’Connell
