Thursday, February 5th

With one word, parakletos, Jesus is getting our attention that the Holy Spirit is one who is called to come alongside to help, that he is our Advocate, Comforter, Counselor and Teacher.

But what does that mean? So what? He can be all those things, but are you aware, dependent, trust, seek that out within your life? The Holy Spirit is a treasure, that for some remains hidden in plain sight.

I’m not sure if you have heard the story of the Saddle Ridge discovery? In February of 2013 a couple was walking on their property and found a rusty paint can, digging at it, finally was able to pry it out of the ground. As they were carrying it back, despite being heavy, the lid popped off and they discovered some gold coins. They went back to the site and ended up finding 8 cans of gold coins, totaling 1,427 US Gold coins dating back to 1847-1894 estimated value was $10 million dollars. The couple, known only as “John and Mary” had lived on the land for years, but had no idea they were living with a treasure in their midst.
The simple truth of the story is deeper for you and me. We have a treasure at our disposal that is greater than riches, so what do you do with this treasure in jars of clay?

I think Galatians 5 gives us some clues. Galatians 5:16-18, 25 - 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law....25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

We can see the challenge between our flesh and our spirit. The battle that wages each and every moment of the day. But for now, I want you to pay attention to the three phrases “by the Spirit”.

The first one I want you to pay attention to is “led by the Spirit”.

What is the impact of that statement, to “be led by the Spirit”? You are following, the Spirit is leading, that you have to surrender to the ways of the Spirit, you have to live in humility to the spirit. To live with the treasure of the Holy Spirit, you have to surrender to His ways. It is about your posture. Your heart posture, your mind posture to see life differently.

'In his book, The Vision and The Vow, Pete Greig tells of how a distinguished art critic was studying an exquisite painting by the Italian Renaissance master Filippino Lippi. He stood in London’s National Gallery gazing at the fifteenth-century depiction of Mary holding the infant Jesus on her lap.... But the painting troubled him. There could be no doubting Lippi’s skill, his use of color or composition. But the proportions of the picture seemed slightly wrong. The hills in the background seemed exaggerated, as if they might topple out of the frame at any minute onto the gallery’s polished floor.

Art critic Robert Cumming was not the first to criticize Lippi’s work for its poor perspective, but he may well be the last to do so; because at that moment he had a revelation. It suddenly occurred to him that the problem might be his. The painting had never been intended to come anywhere near a gallery. Lippi’s painting had been commissioned to hang in a place of prayer.

The dignified critic dropped to his knees in the public gallery before the painting and he suddenly saw what generations of art critics had missed. From his new vantage point, Robert Cumming found himself gazing up at a perfectly proportioned piece.

It was not the perspective of the painting that had been wrong all these years, it was the perspective of the people looking at it. Robert Cumming, on bended knee, found a beauty that Robert Cumming the proud art critic could not. The painting only came alive to those on their knees in prayer.

To be led by the Spirit, our proper position is one of surrender, we will see all of life differently when we humble ourselves and are led by the Spirit.

Today, how do you need to be led by the Spirit? Where do you need to surrender your flesh to the Spirit?

Take time again with this song, Abide.