“Children, you belong to God . . . God’s Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (CEV)
I am not sure when it happened, but meteorologists now possess equipment sensitive enough to detect what the temperature “feels like” based on the power of the wind. So it may be 35 degrees, but if the wind is whipping it may actually feel more like 28! Wind has the power to make a difference. The force of wind cannot be missed. It is literally “in your face” which makes wind a powerful, tangible reminder for us of what the Holy Spirit can do in our lives.
In Acts 2, the disciples, waiting for power from Heaven, were met with a strong windstorm. “Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:2 The Holy Spirit came forth in that windstorm, claiming its spot on earth forever. The Hebrew word for spirit is ruach which means wind or breath. Connecting spirit to the concept of wind shows the power of the Spirit in a concrete way.
Wind never stops moving and often moves objects that get in the way!
Wind changes things, like your hair, or a giant hill of sand, or plans for a picnic outside!
We cannot see the wind. We only feel it. However, we can see the results of wind.
Each of these facts about wind are quite true of the Spirit:
The Spirit is always moving and can move objects that get in its way!
The Spirit changes things but always for the better.
The Spirit brings about results that we can feel or see.
The Holy Spirit’s ability to transform is magnificent news for you and for me! The power of the Spirit transforms not only what we see, but the mighty work of the Spirit performs work that humans are unable to do on their own; inner work that we cannot force or manufacture.
To trust more.
To love more.
To be joyful.
To be faithful.
Qualities of patience, understanding, devotion and stillness are all created through the power of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is an energy constantly mobilizing the best of this world to achieve the best for God’s kingdom.
When Jesus was baptized, he received the power of the Spirit which equipped him, physically and spiritually, for the path that lay ahead of him. In the same way, the Spirit provides for us, empowering us to bring God’s best to our lives and others. I read closely the about the power of the Spirit in Luke 4 and discovered that Jesus showed us 3 specific ways to increase the power of the Spirit in our lives.
1. Be open to the leading of the Spirit
In Luke 4:1 we read, “Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” In the wilderness, Jesus spent 40 days where he was tempted by Satan, but because Jesus was filled with the Spirit and open to the leading of the Spirit, he had power to fight Satan’s tactics and to come out victorious.
2. Know the power of God’s word
In Isaiah, we learn that when God’s word goes out into the world it does not return to him empty, but will accomplish all that God desires. (Isaiah 55:11) Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus knew the power available to him through God’s word, so he spoke God’s word to battle against Satan’s attacks, increasing the power he already possessed. See Luke 4: 6, 8, 10
3. Walk confidently in the Spirit
Luke 4:16 states that when Jesus left the wilderness he “returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit.” His first act was going to the synagogue and reading the scrolls from Isaiah, pronouncing the Spirit of the Lord upon him. He walked, he spoke, he lived in extreme confidence. The power of the Spirit flowing through every action, every thought.
We, as children of the Resurrected King, possess this spirit. The Spirit that leads us and helps us. The Spirit that gives us power through God’s mighty word. The Spirit that flows through us in confidence.
Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul): Read Luke 4 to experience the power of the Spirit for yourselves.
Reaching out (allowing God’s word to work in the world): God’s word is alive and vibrant with the power to transform your soul. Click on the link below to find life-giving scriptures that you can meditate on as you face battles each day.
Living 4 Him 
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