December 13th Advent day 17

Oh my goodness its windy!!   Blowing a real gale.  Hard to stand up and freezing cold.  I was out walking the dog earlier on and the trees were creaking in the wind.  It was quite eerie.  I don't remember winds like these since the huge storms of 1987.  At that time I was doing a DTS with YWAM in Paisley.   We were in Overtoun House - a large stately home sized building set in forested grounds with a tree lined drive.  I remember looking out of the window the morning after the storm and seeing the most enormous fir tree on the drive with its roots in the air.   The roots must have stood fifteen feet tall.  It was such a strange sight. 


It was estimated that 15 million trees were blown down during the course of that one storm.  Fifteen million!!  
 That day back in 1987 was the first time I really had an insight into the verse in John 3 


  ⁸ 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.

I suppose that until that moment I had always thought of the Holy Spirit as being quite meek and mild.  A gentleman.  A dove.  A still small voice.   But when I saw the consequences of the wind that day I realised that he can also be wild and unpredictable.  He can sweep into our lives to uproot things which have been growing there for years.  Things which are standing in His way.  I can hear the wind roaring and raging outside as I write this.  Like a lion. Scary and fierce.  This is the other side of the character of God.

In our ' brand' of church we are all very keen on asking the Holy Spirit to come and touch us, fill us, heal us, show us more of Jesus.  But sometimes I wonder if we really know what we are asking for.   If we would be so quick to welcome Him if we knew He was coming as a hurricane rather than a sweet summer breeze.  Sometimes a sweet summer breeze doesn't achieve too much..  We need the cleansing sweep of a wild wind blowing the debris and dead stuff out of our minds and spirits.  And if He blows us right off our feet.......well, so be it. 


Lord Jesus,   as we listen to the winds raging and watch the effects it has as it passes on its way, please help us to remember that you are not only a babe in a manger, a good shepherd and a reigning King.  You are a lion.  A conqueror.  A mighty rushing wind.  Thank You for Your mighty power.  The power which raised Jesus from the dead and which is at work in me today.