Central Truth

We gain our sight when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Reflections

I accepted the Lord as my personal savior when I was 12. I rededicated my life as a teenager. When I was in my twenties, I threw Him away. I thought I could handle life with my intellect.

But God didn't throw me away. Over and over again, through life experiences, He proved to me that every one of the scriptures that I had learned as a child was true. Finally I said, "Okay, God, since all of these scriptures are true, I'll just believe the whole Bible." My life was still a struggle; I just couldn't find a peaceful rest. I still thought that I was smart enough to run my life myself.

After a painful divorce when I was forty, a friend invited me to go with her to a Full Gospel Businessmen's meeting. The subject of the meeting was the Holy Spirit. The manager of a Christian band told about going into inner cities where unattended vehicles were stripped of tires and anything else of value. He said they would lay hands on their van and pray that God would protect it. Then they would go into their evangelical meeting. When they came out again, the van was always safe, just the way they left it.

I received the Holy Spirit's indwelling when I accepted Jesus.  I wanted to experience His full power in my life, so I asked them to lay hands on me and ask for the Holy Spirit's anointing. Wow! I could hear God in my head, and I could let it come out my mouth. What a difference that made. From then on whenever I remembered and asked God to direct me, He gave me words to say, songs to sing and actions to take.  And I wasn't scared to do it like I had been. When I rely on hearing Him and speak only what He wants me to say and do what He wants me to do, I feel peaceful and at rest. My intellect just can't take care of my life, but God leads me very well. He is trustworthy.

Discussion Questions

1. How did you try to make life good by yourself, before you experienced the power of God in you?
2. What were the results?
3. When did you become aware of the power of the Holy Spirit within you?
4. What is your life like now that you trust God to lead you?