“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, NIV)
I am looking out the window of my house here in Oklahoma and the wind is blowing so hard you can hardly stand up in it. The only people playing golf here are the ones who get paid to do it. Nobody would be playing if allowed to choose.
God created us and if we will let him, he will empower us to show the rest of the world who he actually is.Wind is a powerful force in nature that we understand only by observing its effect. We cannot see wind. We can see the trees bend and our golf balls being pushed back at us, but we can’t see the actual wind.
As I looked out my window I was awed by the striking effect of something I cannot see. That same thing is true of the way God shows himself to us. We don’t see him directly. Instead we see the effect of his presence. We see God in the example of others whose lives are changed by him. We see the result of his presence in ourselves when we realize that somehow we have been changed for the better.
Our scripture today says that everyone born of the Spirit (that would include everyone who acknowledges their need for God and receives his free gift of salvation) will understand who God is. Understanding brought about not by direct visualization of him but by being able to discern the effects of his work in us. We are changed by him in the same way the wind effects our golf ball—invisibly but with undeniable power.
We cannot control the wind—we must give way to it. To really know who God is we must surrender to him. When we let him take charge, we allow him to harness his power on our behalf. The wind blows wherever it pleases and God does the same. He created us and if we will let him, he will empower us to show the rest of the world who he actually is. Our lives will demonstrate his power as we move through the lives of those around us.
Much like the wind moves the branches of the tree, our lives empowered by God, will leave the world around us more aware of his presence, even if they don’t understand how. They will see God through us.
—
Linda Ballard
June 8, 2017
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.