As we end our series on “Your Greatest Calling”, our verse today tells us that the Holy Spirit guides us, not just in our calling, but in every area of our lives. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13 KJV)
Our verse says that He speaks truth and guides us in truth. As we look at God’s Word, He helps us to glean the truth of God’s Word and apply it to our lives. He helps us “rightly divide” (2 Timothy 2:15) Scripture, giving us insight into what God’s Word teaches. When we come to passages that are hard for us to understand, it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us and shows us the deeper meaning of the Scripture.
He guides us in our walk with the Lord. “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21 ESV) There may be times when we are unsure of what path to take or what decision to make, but the Holy Spirit is right there helping to guide us. Sometimes He gives us warnings to keep us from a pathway that will bring destruction or lead us away from God. Sometimes He reminds us of God’s love and tells us that God’s plans for us are for our good. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Our job is to be listening to the leading and promptings of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes that can be hard to do, especially if we find ourselves so involved in and constantly bombarded by the “stuff” and cares of this life, we can miss the nudging of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to us. If we don’t take time out of our day to spend with the Lord and get familiar with His voice speaking to us, it can be easy to miss His voice. If we are consistently consumed with other things and not consciously seeking a close relationship with Him, we can be like the one’s described in Matthew 13:15, “For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back— and I would heal them.” (CSB) The heart that is willfully sinful and not willing to seek out the voice of the Holy Spirit can not discern Spiritual things, is not listening to the truth of God’s Word or seeking guidance from Him. Therefore, it is so important that we should keep ourselves in an obedient relationship with Jesus.
The Holy Spirit lives in us and helps us as we follow His leading. The Holy Spirit shows us what the Heavenly Father tells Him to share with us. Everything He says is to give God glory and to help us follow the calling God has placed in our lives. If we are to fulfill the calling God has placed within us, we need to be sure we are following the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we do, God will receive the glory, and we will find ourselves right in the center of God’s will for our lives.
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