What are You Hearing?

by Calvin and Barbara Scott

Years ago we were on the beach walking against an ocean breeze. We were trying to visit but the wind was so loud we couldn’t hear one another. We finally gave up trying to talk. After a while we turned around to walk the other way. Now we were walking with the wind and we realized we could hear a whisper. The Holy Spirit spoke to us that when we are moving with Him we can hear clearly, but when we are moving contrary to Him all we can hear is a roar of life’s wind.

It is God’s desire for His power and glory, signs and wonders to be manifested through his children so that men might believe and be drawn to Him.  He gave the gifts of the Spirit to the church to be used to bring glory to His name. It’s time for the church to stir up those gifts.
 
The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as rain in Joel 2:23, saying he will cause the rain to come down for you – the former rain, and the latter rain… He tells us in Zechariah 10:1 to ask for rain in the time of rain.

When it rains in the natural there are dormant seeds that sprout and bring forth beautiful flowers. Likewise, in God’s people there are good seeds lying dormant that the rain of the Spirit and the anointing on the Word of God will bring to life.

Now for it to rain in the natural, the atmospheric conditions have to be right. The same is true with the rains of the Spirit. The conditions must be right. How can we help create the right atmosphere for the rains of His Spirit to fall?

First we need to be hungry for God and have a humble and repentive heart. We need to give Him our success and our failure. We have to lay all that we are aside and come to Him in total surrender. Next we need to be pliable and obedient, trusting in Him. Then we need to pray; call upon the Lord, and fellowship with our Father; spending time in His presence.

We also need to be in a mode of expectancy knowing that it is God’s desire to manifest His love, power, and glory through His children. Just like Paul in Philippians 3:13-14 we need to focus on those things which are ahead.

Isaiah 43:18-19 The Message version declares:

“Forget about what’s happened;
Don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
Rivers in the badlands.”