nestle, don’t wrestle…

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you… “I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said… My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior… for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. (Luke 1.35, 38, 46, 49)

I meet many saints crippled by unbelief, and this unbelief is a big barrier against the Holy Spirit, filling our lives. Although we may desire a fresh work of God in our lives, many of us find it difficult to believe that God will actually work in the manner we long for. We have all been taught, “There are no guarantees in life.” But this aphorism was not composed with the promises of God in mind. Jesus invites us to trust in His promises— “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11.9) In other words, Jesus tells you that if you ask to receive the Holy Spirit in fresh ways, you will receive His renewing presence in your life.

Mary is an example of faith to us all. She was promised the gift of a son, yet she couldn’t understand how this could happen and asked, “How can this be?” The answer was that the Holy Spirit would come upon her. How did she respond? She surrendered her life to the Lord, risking scandal, difficulties, and much future pain, and then praised God, saying that what He had promised was already true as far as she was concerned. What a far cry from our “wait-and-see” skepticism of today!

Years back, preachers would distinguish between seeking faith and resting faith. Couples coming to see me before getting married are often very nervous. They perch on the edge of the chair, eager to “get going”  and find out if I will do their wedding. As we chatted, they gradually relaxed and let the chair take their whole weight. You might say that they begin by showing seeking faith– tensed up, hoping that God might act— and end up with resting faith— a secure reliance on God’s promise.

We need to ask for the Holy Spirit in an attitude of resting faith— an attitude which takes Jesus at his word when He promises: “Streams of living water will flow from within him who believes in me.” (John 7.38, 39) John’s gospel goes on to explain, “By this Jesus meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” (John 7.39) This means that receiving the Holy Spirit is not contingent upon merit, signal experiences, leadership potential, spiritual prowess, or your need. The Holy Spirit is God’s promised gift to you… all you have to do is ask and trust. Dear friends, your striving can cease; we can all rest in God’s promise. Like those who first waited in the upper room, it was never a question of “if” God would send His power, just the answer of “when” the power would come.

As Corrie ten Boom was fond of saying, “Nestle, don’t wrestle.”