FROM THE PALANCA CHAIR "Guided By His Spirit"

Have you ever wished you could just immediately understand what God’s will is when going through challenging situations and have no idea how to proceed? Well, you are in good company. During those times we have longed for His guidance, help and provision but often find ourselves at a loss as to what that might be.

Sometimes in our lack of knowledge what His will is, it is easy to get caught up in praying answers as we see the situation and wait for God to agree with our solution to the circumstance and then just put His stamp of approval on it. Great idea, right? Not so much. 

It is at times like this we need to remind ourselves that God knew this would happen and that we would need help. Let’s face it - sometimes our ideas or solutions are not really all that great. So, He gave us His solution through the Holy Spirit and His word in the scriptures.

So, how does the Holy Spirit help and direct us? He does so in a manner that is practical, personal, available, and dependable. Allow me to explain how He does that in the following.

Practical: The Holy Spirit warns us of dangers, or difficulties ahead. He knows exactly how much strength, wisdom, resources, and encouragement that we will need for whatever is ahead.

Personal: As Christians, He lives inside each of us and knows us even better than we know ourselves. Amazing, right? He understands exactly what we require to grow in the likeness of Christ and He enables us to become the person that God created us to be as individuals.  

Available: Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, the Holy Spirit is there for us. No, “sorry gone fishing” or scheduling a zoom meeting at a later date or taking a number and waiting in a long line. He never sleeps and is constantly working in and through us for our good and His glory. He is able to do that because the Holy Spirit has taken up residency in our hearts. He is ALWAYS available.  

Dependable: There’s no problem that we can face that God can’t handle. In fact, not only will the Holy Spirit help us get through our heartaches, but He will also use our burdens to teach us about the love, wisdom and power of God.

So, what’s our role? Simply ask the Holy Spirit to walk us through it, even when we don’t know what to ask for in prayer. The Holy Spirit will intervene for us. (Romans 8: 26-29). Though God’s word may not make sense at the time, He will show us what it means. If there is something in us that is hindering God’s work, He will reveal it, when we feel inadequate, He will fill us with God’s Grace that will empower, energize, and encourage us to overcome whatever afflicts us. In His timeline not ours.

As we gather together for the fall weekends, I invite you to call on that same Holy Spirit to do a mighty work in and through us all as we serve. Pray that the candidate’s faith will be strengthened, renewed and hearts opened and filled with a newness of the love of Jesus.

God is in the process of training the teams and knows exactly who He wants to come and serve as community. Is it you? It takes many willing hearts for the success of the weekends, each one doing what they are called and able to do for the weekends. Pray about it, ask God what your role is and then call on the Holy Spirit to equip you in every way, to do whatever that may be when you come. I promise He will and you will not only be a blessing, you will be blessed!

God loves you and so do I!

Nancy Walk, LVCCM Palanca Chair