Some attributes in our age of technology are great. You can buy all kinds of things online while relaxing on your sofa. Book trips through an app. Secure a checklist of items that once required multiple errand runs and they will be delivered to your door within hours. But there is another aspect to this modern system that is incredibly frustrating. What do you do when you need to talk to a human being?
This past week I spent hours on hold when I needed to talk to a person. I was informed every couple of minutes that my call was important and they would answer my call as soon as a representative was available. That was followed by annoying hold music that repeated over and over and over. I finally gave up.
I appreciate that so much can be handled through technology but sometimes you need the assistance of an actual person. You need to hear a voice.
God never puts us on hold because He is always present. I thought about how followers of Jesus have received an amazing gift from God. Peter described it in the Book of Acts.
“Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts of the Apostles 2:38 NLT)
We have received the gift of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. That presence of God is constant and vital to our spiritual growth. Jesus described the role of the Spirit in our lives.
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:26 NLT)
The Holy Spirit represents Jesus as His Advocate to teach and remind us of our needs. And that presence is 24/7. Paul reminds us of God’s constant presence through the Spirit.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT)
His Spirit lives in us. Always. Another amazing gift of God is the interpretive power of the Spirit in our hearts. In this age of technology we ask artificial intelligence to show us what we can’t figure out. It isn’t always accurate. God uses the Holy Spirit to advocate for us in communication to the Father when we cannot express our needs. The Spirit is always accurate. Paul describes that gift in his letter to the Romans. I love the wording in The Message for this passage.
“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves…” (Romans 8:26-28, MSG)
I used to pray that God would be with me when I was about to face a difficult season. Then I realized that I was praying incorrectly. I pray now that I am grateful that God is already with me and will walk with me through each trial. That is a difference maker in my journey.
God never puts us on hold. His presence is constant. What a gift from our Father.
One Of The Most Overlooked Gifts Of God Is So Valuable
Dave BurchettSome attributes in our age of technology are great. You can buy all kinds of things online while relaxing on your sofa. Book trips through an app. Secure a checklist of items that once required multiple errand runs and they will be delivered to your door within hours. But there is another aspect to this modern system that is incredibly frustrating. What do you do when you need to talk to a human being?
This past week I spent hours on hold when I needed to talk to a person. I was informed every couple of minutes that my call was important and they would answer my call as soon as a representative was available. That was followed by annoying hold music that repeated over and over and over. I finally gave up.
I appreciate that so much can be handled through technology but sometimes you need the assistance of an actual person. You need to hear a voice.
God never puts us on hold because He is always present. I thought about how followers of Jesus have received an amazing gift from God. Peter described it in the Book of Acts.
“Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts of the Apostles 2:38 NLT)
We have received the gift of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. That presence of God is constant and vital to our spiritual growth. Jesus described the role of the Spirit in our lives.
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
(John 14:26 NLT)
The Holy Spirit represents Jesus as His Advocate to teach and remind us of our needs. And that presence is 24/7. Paul reminds us of God’s constant presence through the Spirit.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT)
His Spirit lives in us. Always.
Another amazing gift of God is the interpretive power of the Spirit in our hearts. In this age of technology we ask artificial intelligence to show us what we can’t figure out. It isn’t always accurate. God uses the Holy Spirit to advocate for us in communication to the Father when we cannot express our needs. The Spirit is always accurate. Paul describes that gift in his letter to the Romans. I love the wording in The Message for this passage.
“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves…” (Romans 8:26-28, MSG)
I used to pray that God would be with me when I was about to face a difficult season. Then I realized that I was praying incorrectly. I pray now that I am grateful that God is already with me and will walk with me through each trial. That is a difference maker in my journey.
God never puts us on hold. His presence is constant. What a gift from our Father.