“LED BY THE SPIRIT!”

Romans 8:12-17                              (ESV)

“12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the SPIRIT you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 FOR ALL WHO ARE “LED BY THE SPIRIT” OF GOD ARE SONS OF GOD.

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the SPIRIT of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! FATHER!"

16 The SPIRIT HIMSELF bears witness with our spirit that we are children of GOD,

17 and if children, then heirs-heirs of W and fellow heirs with CHRIST, provided we suffer with HIM in order that we may also be glorified with HIM.”

Having experienced GOD’s Matchless Grace in ways that few others have, there is rarely a hesitance on my part to wait and see what HE is up to next!!!  HE has always “bailed me out” before?  Surely HE will do it again?  Everyone has seen my quoting Exodus 14:14, “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent”, but from time to time I elect to be talking when ALMIGHTY GOD is wanting to talk to me!  It is awfully difficult to listen when your mouth is open!  

Most of us want to input our thoughts and feelings into a discussion without being led by the HOLY SPIRIT to do so.  Being “LED BY THE SPIRIT” is not something that we should claim without even praying about it.  In Exodus 33:9 Moses didn’t go into THE TENT OF MEETING, not to tell GOD how rebellious the Children of Israel were being, but in order that “the LORD would speak with Moses”.  Since the LORD was speaking with Moses, one would have to agree that Moses was listening?  

Do I listen to ALMIGHTY GOD when I am approaching HIS THRONE?  Or do I bring my WISH LIST to HIM and abruptly cast it before HIM in an almost irreverent manner like HE is some sort of genie?  King David, after battling Saul, said in Psalms 18:30, “This GOD-HIS way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; HE is a shield for all those who take refuge in HIM.”  David didn’t take credit for anything he accomplished against Saul.  Instead he talked about how magnificent and majestic is.  

When we are “LED BY THE SPIRIT”, we are typically in a position of doing what GOD is directing us to do, not begging for more “stuff”!  When we are being “LED BY THE SPIRIT”, we are submitting to HIS Leadership in where we should go, and doing what we should do.  When we are explaining how we think HE should be doing things, we are basically telling GOD that our thoughts are higher than HIS (Isaiah 55:8-9)!  It is IMPOSSIBLE to be “LED BY THE SPIRIT” until we surrender to HIS LORDSHIP over our direction!