Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
he past year has seen natural disasters that have
been more numerous than we have seen in a long while, as a result of the phenomenon known
as El Niño. Strange that they would name this destructive force after the Christ Child.
We have seen destruction caused by weather disturbances in various parts of the world.
Perhaps one of the most destructive of these forces has been the force of high-speed winds
in the form of hurricanes and tornadoes.
Isn’t it strange again, how the very air we breathe and need to live, when it is
caused to move speedily over the earth, can bring destruction instead of blessing. Perhaps
it is also significant that in Scripture the work of the Holy Spirit is often likened to
wind. Perhaps it is because like wind, the Spirit of God can bring blessing or
destruction.
How pleasant it is when on a very hot day you feel a cool gentle breeze blowing across
the earth. It brings relief from the heat of the sun and causes you to relax. It is
wonderful when the Spirit of God moves upon us in this way too. He moves gently upon us,
bringing a sense of His presence that produces a gentle comfort and assurance. He
ministers to us the presence of the Savior, who speaks to us gently and lovingly.
But there comes a time when the Holy Spirit, like the wind, begins to move in a
forceful way. And when He does, the results are very similar to what happens when a strong
wind blows over the earth. Sooner or later it comes into contact with various objects on
the earth. And if it is blowing very strongly it is likely to move out of its place
everything is that is fixed and immovable. The things that are in the greatest danger from
the hurricanes are the fixed roofs and structures that try to resist the wind.
But when the wind blows over the plants of the field, the situation is different.
Instead of trying to resist the wind, the pliable trees and plants bend with the wind.
They stoop low to let the wind pass over them. And when the wind has gone, they return to
their original position unharmed. But the rigid immovable structures that stood so proud
against the wind are either destroyed or cast away by the wind.
Isn’t this also a good picture of what happens when the Spirit of God begins to
move mightily in the church? So many Christians are praying for revival and for a move of
the Spirit of God. Perhaps you want to see God move in mighty power and in signs and
wonders. You want more than the gentle breeze of the Spirit. You want to see the miracles
and mighty power of God.
But when God begins to move in this way, you will find that it is not quite what you
expected. You expected blessing, but you find that suddenly pressures begin to come upon
you that you were not prepared for. Suddenly you begin to realize that there are things in
your heart that are stubborn and unyielding. You are like a rigid roof that is comfortable
with the way it is and doesn’t want to change. But when God moves by His Spirit, it
is going to bring change. It is going to bring destruction of some of the structures that
you have built up in your life.
So before you pray for revival or for a mighty move of the Spirit of God, you had
better be prepared to be like the reeds in the wind. You had better be prepared to bow low
under the wind. You had better be prepared to humble yourself in the sight of God and man.
Because there is a price to pay for the power of the Spirit. And if you are prepared to
bend low and let the wind have its course without resistance, then you will survive the
onslaught.
And when the wind has blown its course, you will be able to rise up once more to blow
in the breeze. And as you look around you will see that all the man made structures that
stood so proud will be no longer visible. They would all have been destroyed and blown
away in the wind. Then you will know what it is to flow in the blessing of the Lord,
because the wind will blow freely through the fields, without anything standing in its
way.
This folks is what you can expect if you pray for revival. Are you prepared to pay the
price?
