Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
We need renewal. No matter how things seem to us, we can agree that in our souls and in the world they could be better. Trying to fix these problems on our own leads to frustration and failure. We need more of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit hovered over the waters at the creation of the world. He brought forth new life after the flood. He descended again like that same dove from the ark of Noah. But this time the Spirit himself came upon Jesus, giving us new life after the flood of Baptism. No creation, no renewal, no beginning of any kind, is meant to be without the Holy Spirit.
We can't speak without him.
No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
We can't stand without him or walk without him.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
We can't learn without him. We can't bear the truth without him guiding us into it.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
Part of our trouble is it seems like we can do these things on our own. It's just that when we do they are not anointed. Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit we may experience some transient success but we ultimately feel a lack of purpose. We were trying to fix things on our own. But the things just won't stay fixed.
Without the Holy Spirit we end up in works of the flesh that Paul describes. We end up selfishly doing our own thing rather than functioning as a part of the body. We don't experience a victorious life. We remain chained by our sins.
The solution is simple enough. Invite the Holy Spirit to be more present in our lives. Invite him to come, believe he will, and welcome him when he does. Don't place any conditions on his coming. Give him a blank check.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Filled with the Spirit we can stand and follow Jesus. We can proclaim that Jesus is LORD with anointing and people are changed and cut to the heart. We use our gifts to build up the body of Christ. We enjoy and share all of the fruits of the Spirit, especially love, joy, and peace.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
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