The wind is interesting. At times the wind liberates, as a cool breeze cutting through the humid summer heat. At other times, the wind can bring massive destruction, as hurricanes make landfall and tornadoes build across the plains. But most often, the wind is simply a present reality of each day.
There are times when the wind kicks up dust and throws around the pollen falling from the trees. The wind has been known to cause bad hair days too. The wind can dry down wet soil and help the farmer plant a crop, and it can also rob the soil of what little moisture it may have removing the opportunity to plant a crop.
The effect of wind passing over and under the wing of an airplane enables it to fly, and capturing the wind can take a sailing vessel across oceans. Interesting, the word in both Hebrew and Greek that we translate into ‘Spirit’ or ‘Ghost’, as in ‘Holy Spirit’ or ‘Holy Ghost’, can also mean wind (or breath).
When the disciples were in the boat on the Sea of Galilee (see Matthew 8:24) and the storm came upon them such that the water was lifted and the waves were crashing into the boat, Jesus would rebuke the winds and the sea (Matthew 8:26). The final result was that “...there was great calm.”
What Jesus does here reflects upon the words found in Psalm 65 (verse 7 in particular). The Word that spoke creation into being is over all creation, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. At His ascension, He revealed a new offering of the Hand of God that guides, convicts, nurtures, protects, and moves us, His Spirit.
Like Meteorologist Jim Cantore, we can try to resist the wind and not let it move us. But the Wind that is the Spirit is our power to move and our relief from the heat. The bad hair day just might be a witness of conviction too (at least humbling)!
Today, let’s consider how we bear Spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) and keep in step with the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Our verse for today comes from John 3:8 (ESV):
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Holy Spirit, Wind of Truth and Breath of Life, help us to know Thy touch and embrace Thy presence, that we might walk in step of Thy will for us, walking as witnesses of the Good News; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with Thee and the Father; One God, now and always. AMEN.