John 3:5–8 ‘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.’ (v8)
God’s kingdom is elusive. Nicodemus’ reasonable request for clear answers to heartfelt questions is met with mystery. The will of God often appears more of a riddle than a solution. We eagerly look to God, yet as easily as the wind passes us by we can miss the moment of His presence. Our whole journey with God is to grow in sensitivity to His Spirit’s movement.
We read God’s Word to become familiar with the sign of God’s passing presence. Jesus, constantly on the move with His ministry, repeatedly issued one simple command, ‘Follow me!’ Discipleship is to leave and follow the one who is our teacher. As disciples, we receive the Spirit of God who responds to God’s presence. We experience a sense of being drawn and, like Nicodemus, must set aside all else and go after Jesus, whose invitation always carries unanswered questions; yet God demands obedience of heart, not merely mental assent.
Any Christian looking back over their life will be left with many questions, for we are to respond to God’s invitation and not primarily craft our career. Our lives are indeed purpose driven, but we may only ever enjoy a partial understanding of that purpose. Like Nicodemus, we are left pondering, ‘How can this be?’
Scripture to consider: Eph. 5:8–20; Matt. 11:1–19; Mark 2:1–12; John 1:35–51.
A prayer to make: ‘Lord, may I become daily more sensitised to the movement of Your Spirit and follow where You lead, questions and all. Amen.’
Photo by rawpixel
