“You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 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.”
JOHN 3:7–8
The White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine feature some rugged territory. For more than sixty years, New Hampshire’s Mount Washington held the record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded on Earth. The 231-mile-per-hour gust was recorded on April 12, 1934, at the Mount Washington Observatory, and it still stands as the strongest recorded in the Western Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere. The observatory sits at an elevation of 6,288 feet, and for a variety of reasons, it experiences some amazingly bad weather.
Across our planet, the wind does many things. It plays a part in complex weather patterns; it provides wind power; it gives life to sailboats; and gentler winds help pollinate plants, to name just a few of its functions.
So it is with the Holy Spirit. We do not see Him, yet His effects are felt in countless ways. Think of how many believers there are all over the world. Now consider that the Holy Spirit is within each one, helping us, comforting us, counseling us, and reminding us of all that Jesus taught. He empowers us. He envelops us in love and cultivates in us His fruit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). We cannot see the Spirit, yet the evidence of His presence is everywhere.
Praise God for His generosity in being present with us in this powerful way!
O Lord, thank You for transforming my life through the Holy Spirit. Your ways are so wise and so loving! Help me to recognize Your presence and to freely cooperate with You.