This morning I was led in prayer to John 3: 1-8
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 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.”[d]
Nicodemus was a man who came to see Jesus in the cover of darkness. He was compelled by questions. Questions that stirred inside of him into a whirling storm of belief, doubt, and wonder. His heart longed to know who Jesus was. Who was this man that healed the sick, fed thousands, spoke boldly in the temple, and caused such sickening hatred among the Pharisees? Yet, even they knew there was something special about him.
Sometimes I will sit and look out my bedroom window as I still myself to hear from God. As I gaze at the tree outside, I watch as the leaves bounce up and down in the breeze and I often think, "That is how God's Spirit moves." I don't see the breeze coming. I don't see where it ends. I only see the bobbing of leaves and hear the rustling of it's movement as it passes by.
Such is God's Spirit. It is unpredictable. We can't see it, but we can hear it and see the rippling effect as it passes by. Jesus says, "you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. "Did you get that? "you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going." In other words, I cannot know all the answers and see the full picture before I respond.
It's in allowing to be moved that we can say, "Yes, did you see how God moved!" Sometimes God's voice is a nudge, "Go there. Talk to that person". Sometimes it's a stronger wind, and sometimes it's a full forced tornado.
The questions is: Are you willing to be pliable to God's nudge? Do you hear him nudging you...do you hear the wind blowing? Are you willing to accept that "you cannot" know all the "whys" or "hows" and respond to His Spirit?
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